Our Top-Rated Podiatrists Discuss How Flat Feet Can Create a Domino Effect of Health Issues
Having flat feet is not usually painful, especially if you’ve had this condition since birth or it didn’t occur because of an injury. However, if you develop flat feet as an adult, it can be painful when not addressed promptly. 
When the arches of the feet fall or collapse in adulthood, it may result in the feet turning outward, which doesn’t allow the impact of walking, running, or jumping to be absorbed properly. This can lead to muscle pain in the feet, legs, knees, hips, and lower back, and you may experience difficulty walking. Here, the award-winning podiatrists at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists explain how patients can help avoid the discomfort of adult flat feet.
Causes of Adult-Acquired Flat Feet
Most kids are born with flat feet, but they develop higher arches by the end of elementary school. However, when adults suffer from flat feet, it’s generally due to one of the following:
- Injuries
- Arthritis
- Weak arches
- Pregnancy
- Muscular or nervous system diseases
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Extended time on your feet at work
- Shoes without proper support
- Playing high-impact sports
- Genetics
- Advanced age
How to Tell if You Have Flat Feet
There are ways to determine if you have a flat, normal, high, or very high arch, including the following:
Scan
Many athletic footwear stores are able to scan your feet to determine the height of your arch.
Wet Test
Fill the bottom of a shallow basin with water. Place your foot into the water, just deep enough to wet the bottom of your foot. Step onto a piece of paper or cardboard. Look at the imprint you leave behind to see how much of your foot touched the surface. A lot of curve in the center of your footprint indicates a higher arch. If there is not much curve, you have a flatter arch.
Wear Test
Look at the sole on a pair of your well-worn shoes. If the shoe is worn in the area of your big toe, you likely have flat feet. If the shoe is worn toward the middle, you are more likely to have normal arches. Higher arches would likely create more wear near the outside of the shoe, near the little toe.
Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists Can Help Your Flat Feet
If you’re experiencing foot pain or discomfort, it might be due to flat feet. Our knowledgeable foot and ankle experts can examine your feet, check your arches, and utilize imaging tests such as X-rays or MRIs to evaluate the structure of your feet. To ensure that you receive an accurate and fast diagnosis, we will also want to know:
- When you noticed changes
- Your symptoms
- How much pain you’re experiencing
Non-Surgical Treatment Options for Flat Feet
Once we have a definitive diagnosis of your pain, we use a combination of traditional and state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to provide the best possible care. With adult-acquired flat foot, the more conservative treatment options do not correct the fallen arch—they simply reduce symptoms. But for many people, this is adequate to help them return to normal activities without having surgery. Some non-surgical options include the following:
Rest – Giving your feet a break may temporarily alleviate discomfort.
Ice – Applying an ice pack for 20 minutes at a time, several times per day, can help with inflammation.
Compression – Wrapping your foot can help with swelling.
Elevation – Keeping your foot raised above your heart is a good way to reduce inflammation.
Medications – Using anti-inflammatory medications can help to reduce pain and swelling.
Switching activities – If your arch fell as a result of high-impact sports, we may recommend integrating swimming, bicycling, or other low-impact activities into your fitness routine so you can stay fit without putting as much stress on your feet.
Better shoes – Visiting a store that sells high-quality running shoes may allow you to find models that are built to address overpronation, which is another name for outward-turning feet, a common problem with flat feet. The staff at these stores can help you identify the shoes that can help.
Orthotics or braces – Repositioning the feet and giving them added support may help with foot, ankle, leg, knee, hip, and back pain by redistributing weight and pressure. Our office offers custom orthotics that are built specifically for the needs of each patient. Although it may seem that orthotics would only help with foot problems, research has found that they help with conditions in other parts of the body, such as:
- Disc issues
- Lower back strain
- Lumbar problems
- Sacroiliac joint syndromes
Exercise – Getting the right types of exercise can help to strengthen areas of the feet and legs that contribute to flat foot-related pain.
Stretching – Physical therapy may be offered to educate a patient about how to stretch the tendons and muscles in their feet, which could help with mobility, flexibility, and strength.
Cast/Boot – A few weeks with the foot immobilized may help to reduce pain and swelling in more severe cases.
When Surgery Might Be Best
If conservative options do not alleviate pain associated with flat feet, you’re having trouble standing, or you can’t perform normal, daily activities, surgery may be recommended. Surgery for flat feet has a high success rate, should it be necessary, so this is a way to get lasting relief. Surgeries to correct flat feet include:
- Joint fusion
- Achilles lengthening
- Tendon transfer
- Ligament repair
- Osteotomy
Our Central Texas foot and ankle doctors always try to help our patients avoid unnecessary surgical procedures. As with other types of surgery, surgeries for flat feet can carry the risk of complications, including the following:
- Infection
- Nerve damage
- Blood vessel damage
- Bone failure
- Difficulty healing
