Luetta Olkowski

Foot Pain Symptoms

What Is Pes Planus?

Overview

Adult Acquired Flat Foot

Flat feet plague many Americans and perhaps one of the worst times to have fallen arches is the winter holiday season. Why? Many people are destined to spend hours standing in line waiting to pay for holiday gifts, see Santa or mail holiday cards and packages. There are also those cocktail parties, holiday caroling sessions and strolls through the Christmas lights that will undoubtedly have people on their feet for long stretches of time too.

Causes

Genetic predisposition. Faulty foot mechanics, e.g. excessive pronation. Abnormal bony architecture. Laxity of ligaments. Neuro-muscular disease. Trauma to the leg muscles or major tendons. Inflammatory diseases of the joints e.g. Rheumatoid arthritis. Surgical procedures on the leg and ankle. Limb length inequality. Tight Achilles tendon.

Symptoms

Symptoms that should be checked by a pediatrician include foot pain, sores or pressure areas on the inner side of the foot, a stiff foot, limited side-to-side foot motion, or limited up-and-down ankle motion. For further treatment you should see a pediatric orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist experienced in childhood foot conditions.

Diagnosis

Your doctor examines your feet to determine two things, whether you have flat feet and the cause or causes. An exam may include the following steps, Checking your health history for evidence of illnesses or injuries that could be linked to flat feet or fallen arches, Looking at the soles of your shoes for unusual wear patterns, Observing the feet and legs as you stand and do simple movements, such as raising up on your toes, Testing the strength of muscles and tendons, including other tendons in the feet and legs, such as the Achilles tendon or the posterior tibial tendon, Taking X-rays or an MRI of your feet.

pes valgus

Non Surgical Treatment

Treatment of flat feet by a fully educated, trained, and licensed podiatrist should be sought if the previously mentioned pain in the foot or knee areas start to surface and becomes a painful problem. Depending on the cause and exact type of the condition, a variety of forms of treatment may be prescribed. Verification of the exact cause and type of flat feet that each individual has, should only be handled by a professional podiatrist. Often times, the actual treatment method will include some form of arch support or light gymnastic style exercise. In rare cases, something more involved may be necessary, but only your skilled podiatrist would be able to accurately make that determination. If you suffer from flat feet, plantar fasciitis, or any other form of problematic foot condition, we encourage you to contact a foot clinic today and potentially rid yourself of that problem in virtually no time at all.

Surgical Treatment

Adult Acquired Flat Foot

Fallen arches may occur with deformities of the foot bones. Tarsal coalition is a congenital condition in which the bones of the foot do not separate from one another during development in the womb. A child with tarsal coalition exhibits a rigid flat foot, which can be painful, notes the patient information website eOrthopod. Surgery may prove necessary to separate the bones. Other foot and ankle conditions that cause fallen arches may also require surgery if noninvasive treatments fail to alleviate pain and restore normal function.

Prevention

Sit up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Scrunch up the toes of one foot as if you are trying to grab hold of the floor then use your toes to drag your foot a small distance forwards. Do this a couple of times on each foot, but don?t use your leg muscles to push your foot forward -- the movement should come solely from the muscles in your feet. Sit in a chair and place a cleaning cloth, towel or small ball on the floor at your feet. Use the toes of one foot to grasp the object and lift it off the floor. This action will require you to clench your toes and contract your arch. Once you have lifted the object a little way off the floor, try to throw it in the air and catch it by stretching your toes and arch out and upwards. Repeat the exercise several times on both feet. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you then bend your knees out to either side and place the soles of your feet together so your legs form a diamond. Hold on to your ankles and, keeping your heels together at all times, separate your feet so your toes point out to either side. Open and close your feet in this way several times, making sure your little toes stay in contact with the floor throughout the exercise. Starting in the same position, try separating your heels, keeping your toes together at all times.