How To Prevent Your Flat Feet From Getting Worse

The arch of your foot is the curved space between the ball of your foot and the heel. If you have flat feet, it means that you have a very low arch, or no real arch at all. For people with flat feet, when standing, the whole sole of the foot makes contact with the floor.

This condition can cause discomfort, especially if you need to stay on your feet for long amounts of time. A low or collapsed arch can cause structural instability, potentially leading to ankle, knee, and hip problems down the road. And, while flat feet are mostly caused by genetic factors, this condition can worsen over time.

Talk to Dr. David Deiboldt and the team at Beltsville Foot and Ankle Center of Beltsville, Maryland about your flat feet, and find out what you can do now to prevent your arches from flattening further in the future. Here’s what you need to know.

What causes flat feet?

The medial longitudinal arch of your feet reaches from your toes to your heels. Arches are meant to cushion your feet, acting like shock absorbers to lessen the stress of standing, walking, running, and lifting.

Low or flat arches are mostly hereditary, running in families. In many cases of flat feet, your arches don’t fully develop in childhood. However, other factors can also cause you to develop flat feet over time, or cause your low arches to flatten even more, due to damage to or weakness in your tendons and ligaments.

What makes flat feet get worse?

Your flat feet could get worse if you:

• Are pregnant
• Are obese
• Are active in a high-stress sport
• Wear unsupportive or badly-fitting shoes
• Spend lots of time standing on concrete
• Frequently engage in heavy lifting
• Sustain an injury to a foot or ankle
• Have chronic conditions like diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis

If your flat feet worsen, you could be in for more limiting symptoms like arch or heel pain, forefoot pain, and the development of bunions or hammertoes.

Steps to prevent flat feet from getting worse

The team at Beltsville Foot and Ankle Center can help you improve the condition of your arches, keeping your flat feet from becoming more of a problem, and potentially alleviating your symptoms and discomfort.

Depending on the nature of your arch issues and the causes of your flat feet problem, you may benefit from a variety of interventions, including:

• Custom orthotics molded to support your feet and prevent or slow progression, provide shock support, and relieve pain
• Supportive shoes that improve alignment and provide arch support and cushioning
• Exercises like calf raises, arch lifts, and heel stretches to stretch and strengthen the ligaments and muscles in your arches
• Physical therapy to address a previous injury or correct form and alignment
• Anti-inflammatory medications to reduce symptoms of pain

Get in touch with Beltsville Foot and Ankle Center to learn more about the best plan to prevent your flat feet or fallen arches from getting any worse. Schedule your appointment over the phone today, or book now with our online tool.