Flat feet can be very much like a flat tire on your car. When your tire is out of alignment, it will affect the rest of the car. You may feel uneven and more bumps in the road. Our feet are like the tires on a car. When our feet are out of alignment, it can affect all the joints above them, including our knees, our hips, and our backs.
Many times, patients will seek several alternative treatments for back pain. They will then see me for foot pain. They commonly have pain in their heel or the arch of their foot. After a full biomechanical exam and watching them walk, we will discuss the shape of their foot. We will also discuss how this affects the rest of their body. Most commonly, these patients will have a flat or lower arched foot. Once getting the patient into the proper fitting orthotics to elevate the arch of their foot, they will come in weeks later telling me how all of a sudden their back pain is gone!
Flat Feet Can Cause Many Different Problems…
Flat feet can cause many problems, heel pain being the most common. They cause you to put more strain on the ligament on the bottom of your foot, called your plantar fascia. This can lead to a condition known as plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is treated with stretching, injections, and orthotics. Flat feet can also put strain on a tendon in your foot called your Posterior Tibial Tendon. Tendinitis can be treated with ice, compression, immobilization, and proper shoe gear as well as orthotics.
If you have flat feet, you may notice your knees start to turn in or you have something called “knock knee.” In many patients, especially children, this can cause knee pain. Using a supportive pair of orthotics may even help to eliminate this pain!
If you are having foot pain or any questions about your shoes or shoe inserts, call Hollowbrook Foot Specialists today at (845) 298-9074. We are serving the Hudson Valley from Wappingers Falls.
By: Samantha DelRegno D.P.M.
