Flat feet: When your feet have no arch and fully touch the floor

Flat feet lack the arch that a normal adult foot has, which can cause problems in the advanced stages of the condition. — Freepik

My husband is getting surgery for flat feet. I have flat feet too, but I don’t need surgery for it. How did we get flat feet in the first place?

Flat feet is also called pes planus, or fallen arches.

All human beings had flat feet once upon a time – and I don’t mean in the prehistoric ages.

When you are a baby or toddler, you have flat feet.

Then, in time, the tendons and ligaments in your feet tighten to form an arch by the time you are aged two or three.

If your tendons and ligaments do not tighten, then you can have flat feet for the rest of your life.

I have flat feet too.

We who have flat feet do not have a normal arch when we are standing.

We can see this when we make wet footprints, e.g. in the shower.

It is estimated that up to 8% of adult people have flat feet, and another 4% have fallen arches.

In some cases, flat feet is caused by injuries or illnesses.

Why aren’t my flat feet causing problems when my husband’s ones are?

Flat feet are perfectly fine for some people, but can cause problems for others.

There are several types of flat feet:

> Flexible flat feet

This is the commonest type.

When you lift your feet off the floor, arches will appear.

When you put them back on the floor, the arches disappear and your soles touch the floor fully.

This type of flat feet usually starts in childhood.

It doesn’t cause any pain, nor problems walking or staying on your feet for long periods of time.

> Tight Achilles tendon

Many people have this.

This tendon is the one that connects your calf muscle to your heel bone.

It can cause your feet to be flat if it is tight.

If it is too tight, you may feel pain after walking for too long or running.

This is as a tight Achilles tendon can cause your heel to lift prematurely when you walk.

> Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction

This type of flat feet is caused by injury when you are an adult.

There is a tendon that connects your calf muscle to the inside of your ankle, called the posterior tibial tendon.

If it is injured or torn in any way, your arch does not receive the support that it needs.

This can result in pain on the inside of your foot and ankle, and possibly also on the outer side of your ankle.

The thing about flat feet-related symptoms is that the condition itself is not life-threatening.

But it is a major irritation in your life and activities because you need to be on your feet and use them every single day.

I have heard that being overweight causes flat feet. Is this true? Does being fat cause our weight to sink our arches?

There’s no direct gravitational correlation!

But it is true that you will be at higher risk of having flat feet if you are obese.

Other risk factors include having high blood pressure or diabetes.

If your family members have flat feet, you are more likely to have them too.

If you are a very active sportsperson, your risk is also greater than a less active person, because you are more likely to trip and fall, and sustain injuries.

People with muscle diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, also have an increased risk of having flat feet.

My husband has been told that he has stage 3 flat feet. I didn’t know there were stages of flat feet.

There are four stages of flat feet.

• Stage 1: Your foot is not very flat, although your posterior tibial tendon is slightly inflamed.
• Stage 2: Your foot is flat, and your posterior tibial tendon does not function and is weak.

  Your arch can still be recreated with correctional devices.

  You need treatment at this stage to prevent your flat foot from progressing to stage 3.

• Stage 3: You have a rigid flat foot.

  Your joints are inflexible and arthritic.

• Stage 4: You are at either Stage 2 or 3, but also have ankle arthritis.

If I have no pain while walking, do I need to treat my flat feet?

Many people will not treat flat feet.

Many doctors may also ask you to come back only if your flat feet cause you pain.

But early treatment can oftentimes stop progression of your flat feet to the more advanced stages.

So it is advisable to consult a podiatrist early on.

The very first step is to get arch support by the way of orthotics.

In Malaysia, there are a lot of orthotic shops these days compared to yesteryear.

Awareness of this flat feet issue is becoming more prominent among the public.

A podiatrist can make a customised insert for you to put into your shoes to wear when you are walking.

Or you can get one of those many types of arch support shoes and slippers that you see in malls.

Orthopaedic surgeons will always say that some sort of arch support is better than no arch support if you have flat feet.

Beware though, these orthotics are not cheap.

If you are overweight, it is also good to reduce your weight.

You may be recommended to ice your soles and ankle, especially the posterior tibial and Achilles tendon, after a walk of over one hour.

If all these do not work, then your feet may be in a more serious condition and it is time to go to an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in feet.

Medications may be prescribed to reduce pain and swelling, and foot surgery to create an arch or relieve tendons, may be recommended.

Dr YLM graduated as a medical doctor, and has been writing for many years on various subjects such as medicine, health, computers and entertainment. For further information, email [e-mail]. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.