What are Flat Feet and High Arches, What Causes Flat Feet and High Arches, and What is the Treatment for Flat Feet and High Arches?
Flat feet, whether acquired for congenital can often be associated with a heel angulation called pes plano valgus, This condition can cause arch pain and sometime pain on the outside of the ankle know as lateral ankle compartment pain. This condition can be a symptomatic but also can cause outside knee pain and will eventually change the ankle of the knee. High arches, whether acquired for congenital can often be associated with a heel angulation called pes plano varus. This condition can cause arch pain, fore foot pain, and sometime pain on the inside of the ankle known as medial ankle compartment pain. Due to the structure of the foot, this condition can also cause sever metatarsal head pressure and often calluses. This condition can be a symptomatic but also can cause inside knee pain and will eventually change the ankle of the knee. Most patient with these condition usually don’t have symptoms until later in life when adult adaptive changes start to take place and the condition is amplified.
Cause: The two main causes for these conditions are either adult onset “acquired” or congenital, meaning that you were born with the specific structure due to genes. Wearing non-supportive footwear on hard, flat surfaces puts abnormal strain and pressure on the foot that can amplify the condition and cause pain and discomfort.
Treatment: Custom foot orthotics helps support the foot properly through the gait cycle and aid with proper alignment. The use of custom foot orthotics can lesson pressure and provide for cushioning and shock absorbance. In sever cases the foot orthotic can be wedged at the heels to control some of the knee angulation and unload pressure in a specific compartment.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PES PLANO/FLAT FEET
BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUR ORTHOTICS EXPERT BRIAN WIGGEN II, CO BOCPO AND CO-OWNER
