Though to look at your feet in a seated position they may look just like anyone else’s feet, upon standing, you may notice that the arch totally flattens out leaving no space between the center of your foot and the floor.
Though flat feet in and of themselves are not painful, it can throw your body off and out of alignment, even distributing body weight unevenly. Pain may come in to play if due to misalignments, muscles and ligaments end up overstretched leading to strains. Flat feet also put you at a higher risk for ankle sprains due to instability issues.
Pain may be referred from the arch of the foot and affect the knees, hips, back, lower leg areas and ankles.
What causes flat feet?
The first factor and most prevalent are genetics. If one of your parents had flat feet, there is a likely hood that you may as well. Usually, this is apparent from birth. It may also be caused by an injury or trauma to the ankle or foot area as well as some arthritic conditions.
Flattened arches can also be caused by excess weight during pregnancy if the person is obese and even having diabetes can put you at an elevated risk.
Many people have a very low arch and yet never have issues. Treatment and correction are only needed if symptoms present.
Treatment for Flat Feet
Seeing a podiatrist or chiropractor is your best bet for getting your foot health on track. They are able to visually look at the foot as well as manually test for stiffness, rigidity, and flexibility. The patient will be asked to stand and walk and x-rays may be taken.
Orthotics (Foot Levelers) can be custom created to rebalance and align the body. Orthotics are thin inserts constructed of leather, plastic, rubber and other strong durable materials. At the initial appointment, your foot will be measured and cast using a step in box.
While there isn’t a cure for flat feet, wearing customized orthotics in your shoes makes a tremendous difference in how your body moves and that results in less abnormal wear and tear on the body in trying to correct your gate. Pain relief generally begins to be noticed after only a day or two with the new orthotics and gradually gets better over time.
If you would like to be fitted for orthotics or come in for an adjustment please feel free to give the Office of Dr. Jason Kaster, D.C. a call.
Chiropractor in Ft Myers, FL, and Naples, FL
Chiropractic care is a safe, alternative treatment when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of many conditions. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent it as soon as possible?
Dr. Jason B. Kaster, a chiropractor in Fort Myers and Naples, can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.