What Problems Do Flat Feet Cause?

Your foot helps to bear the weight of your body and absorb some of the shock of your motion. 

At least, that’s the case when you have fully formed arches. Some people never develop arches, though. In other folks, the arch falls, often because of an injury or aging. 

Without that arch, you get diagnosed with flat feet. Sometimes, the lack of an arch doesn’t cause any trouble. Other times, flat feet contribute to foot pain and other podiatric problems. 

If you’re experiencing discomfort due to flat feet, we’re here to help. Our team at Rogers Foot & Ankle Institute specializes in treating flat feet. At our offices in American Fork and Saratoga Springs, Utah, we can determine if you have this condition. If so, we tailor treatment to help you limit your risk of dealing with problems because of it.  

Common problems with flat feet

Your body uses your arches to help offset some of the stress that comes with each step you take. When you’re missing this feature, you might experience issues like:

• Ankle pain 
• Balance problems
• Bunions
• Foot pain
• Hammertoe
• Hip pain
• Knee pain
• Low back pain
• Shin splints

Your flat feet can also contribute to gait abnormalities. That heightens your risk for secondary complications like sprained ankles. We can perform gait analysis at our office to see if your flat feet affect the way you walk. 

Minimizing the risks of flat feet

If any of the problems we just outlined sound familiar, come talk to our team. At Rogers Foot & Ankle Institute, we can treat your flat feet to help you get relief. 

We customize our treatment recommendations to your feet. Some people can ease problems due to flat feet with options like:

• Activity modification
• Bracing
• Foot stretching and strengthening exercises performed at home
• Proper shoe choices
• Medication (e.g., anti-inflammatory medication)
• Orthotics
• Physical therapy
• Taping

If you’re still dealing with issues because of your lack of an arch after trying conservative treatment options, we can help you explore surgery to restore arches to your feet. 

Generally, the more problems your flat feet cause, the more likely we are to recommend surgery. However, most people can get the relief they need with more conservative treatment options. If your flat feet are becoming debilitating, though, a procedure might make sense for you. 

For many people, flat feet never cause problems. But if your missing arches are introducing pain into your life, we can help. 

Contact our team at the Rogers Foot & Ankle Institute by calling us at (801) 756-4200 as soon as possible.