Flat Feet- Fallen Arches

What Are They and How to Tell If You Have Them

Flat feet, also known as fallen arches, may seem like no big deal, but they can lead to problems for your knees, ankles, and feet in many cases if left untreated. Flat feet are normal in infants and toddlers, due to the fact that the arch has yet to develop, but it actually will fail to develop in one or both feet in some twenty to thirty percent of the population. Flat feet can be caused as the arches fall with the passage of time, as well as being the result of obesity, foot injuries, arthritis, and diabetes.

The human foot is comprised of some twenty-six bones, thirty-three joints and well over one hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The job of the arch is to help distribute your weight across the feet and legs. They also serve in providing proper mobility, and need to be flexible. Fallen arches are often an inherited condition, but adults with normal arches can see them deteriorate over time. The weakening of a tendon called the posterior tibial tendon, which is found along the inner part of the ankle, precipitates flat feet, as the tendon is the major supporting structure of the arch. Overwork and wear and tear on this tendon can cause swelling and tearing, and once the damage is done, the arch can flatten out. Wearing high heels for long periods of time is a common cause of flat feet among women.

The symptoms of flat feet are easy enough to spot- one foot looks flatter than the other, there is pain in the lower leg, pain on the inside of your ankle, swelling in the same region, and foot pain- all possible indications of flat feet. A good test for flat feet can be done in the summer when you emerge from a swimming pool. Observe your footprints, especially if you are on cement. The front of the foot is joined to the heel by a strip. With fallen arches, this strip will be the same width as the front of the foot. A healthy and normal arch will leave a footprint with the strip being only half as wide as the front of the foot; a very high arch will leave just a very thin strip connecting the front to the back.