Are Your Aging Feet Getting Flatter and Causing Pain? We Have Relief
Having flat feet isn’t uncommon. In fact, up to 30% of the population are flat-footed, As we age and over time the feet flatten out. Pain caused by fallen arches can make it difficult to walk, stand, work, and enjoy leisure activities. Many notice that their foot pain and discomfort increase as the day goes on, limiting their ability to enjoy the things they love most. If your arches have begun to fall due to age, or you’re experiencing pain due to your flat feet, we are here to help.
Caring Podiatry has two locations in Monroe Township and Neptune, New Jersey. Our experienced podiatrists can provide custom-made orthotics to help alleviate the pain caused by fallen arches. Custom-made orthotics are a device that fits comfortably in your shoes. They are made from a cast of your feet and are made at our experienced biomechanical laboratory. Custom-made orthotics will correct and realign your feet. We know that flat feet are comon, especially as we age. Caring Podiatry is here to make the best orthotic possible to support and align your feet.
What are flat feet, and why do they cause pain?
Flat feet, also known as fallen arches or pes planus, refers to feet that lack an arch. There are a number of different types of flat feet, but a lack of arch while standing is a constant among them. Children naturally have flat feet when they are born and develop an arch by 3 years. Having flat feet by the age of 4 you are going to have flat feet forever. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to have pain but if the child does there is something we can do about it.
We have seen hundreds of kids over our 20 years of practice. Coming in with their parents concerned about the pain in their feet and legs when they are playing a sport like soccer or basketball. When we evaluate their problems, in most cases they are flat-footed and we put them into a pair of custom made orthotics that will support the flat foot and alleviate their foot pain.
Fallen arches can also lead to pain in the knees, hips, and back. This is caused by the inward rotation of the knees as your feet flatten out. Treatments with orthotics help realign your knees, reduce pain, and even alleviate conditions like Iliotibial Band (IT) syndrome, hip pain, and lower back pain.
The connection between age and foot health
As mentioned, some people have normal feet for the majority of their adult life, but their arches slowly break down and flatten as they grow older. This causes their shoe size to increase as their foot flattens out. Several factors can speed up the process, including:
Obesity
Multiple pregnancies
Damage to the tendons in the feet
Diabetes
Remaining active is an important part of maintaining your health. If your flat feet are causing you pain, you limit physical activities like standing, walking, dancing, and other work-outs. This is why pain management for flat-feet is important; without it, you might avoid exercise and put other aspects of your health at risk.
Pain relief for flat feet
There are a number of ways to alleviate pain caused by flat feet. Our podiatrists can provide guidance and help you make changes to your footwear and daily routine. Helpful changes include:
Flat-foot exercises
Wearing different shoes
Losing weight
If you, are someone you love, is suffering from pain caused by fallen arches, get in touch with us at Caring Podiatry by calling the location closest to you or booking an appointment online.
