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Help For Flat Feet Pain

Some people are born with flat feet, some people have them thrust upon them. These low or fallen arches can cause a great deal of pain. The arch of the foot helps distribute the weight for support and to keep our balance.

When you have fallen arches or if your feet are naturally flat, it can make it more difficult to walk, run, stand for long periods of time and perform some exercises. It can also make you susceptible to certain types of injuries and trying to find comfortable shoes is a chore.

But fear not, for all is not lost. There are some solutions to flat feet pain and discomfort. Here we will take a close look at what can cause flat feet, and ways you can relieve that pain.

Flat Feet Causes

There are a few ways that flat feet can happen and luckily, ways to help prevent it from happening.

Born This Way

A few people are born with flat or much flatter feet than others. As babies and toddlers are feet are flat and we develop the arches as we grow. Sometimes, foot arches don't develop or don't develop very much.

Not everyone who has lower arches has problems as each person's foot varies and is unique. if the feet are flat from an early age, most people just adapt to it and make adjustments with supportive shoes or insoles.

Other Causes

The fallen arches can just happen over a period of time. Sometimes just the wear and tear of years of walking and standing can just cause the feet to flatten.

It may be brought on by carrying too much weight, from an injury, from an illness like diabetes or arthritis and even just age.

Wearing the wrong shoes can cause damage to the feet over time, and cause bunions to develop along with fallen arches and other problems with legs, back, and hips.

Flat Feet Pain

The pain in your feet can be in one or many different places of your foot. It can affect your heels, the arch or instep, the balls of your feet and even your ankles. It can cause pain further along, like legs, knees and even cause back problems.

Treating Flat Feet Pain

While there is no cure for fallen arches, there are treatments. Depending on how high your discomfort level is, will determine yours.

Exercise

There are a few easy exercises and home treatments you can do to ease the pain. Elevate the feet and apply ice to ease the pain and the swelling. You can massage your feet, and focus on the arches and wherever the pain is.

Try stretching your hamstrings, gently rolling your ankles and even using a tennis ball to roll under the arch of your foot. You can do that while you are at work, or watching television.

Support Shoes

You may love wearing high heels or fancy dress shoes, but they probably don't love you. They can cause a lot of damage.

Find good, supportive shoes that hold your feet steady. They need to fit well and be sturdy enough to prevent your foot from rolling or leaning. They should have good support in the arch.

Orthodics

You can buy insoles for your shoes that will boost the arch of the foot to make walking and standing far more bearable. You can find partial or full insoles and have them adjusted to work best for your foot pain.

You can also have them specially made for your foot, and this may be a good idea if your pain is severe or chronic. The specially made orthotics will ease the pains you have and prevent more.

You can visit your own medical care professional, a chiropractor, or a podiatrist for these insoles. They are made to form your foot and correct your very specific problem.

Lose Weight

Losing some weight will help ease the foot pain, as the foot needs to adjust to balance and carry your excess weight. Starting an exercise regime is a good idea for foot pain and weight control.

The feet take quite a beating as it is, carrying us around all day. A lot of extra weight really puts an undue strain on them, a strain that is preventable.

Seek Medical Help

If your pain is severe and you have problems with mobility due to foot pain, you should consult with your healthcare provider. They can refer you to a physiotherapist or determine if surgery is needed.

They may be able to prescribe pain medication, if needed or you can seek out other alternative ways to treat pain, with meditation, essential oils and massage. Soaking your feet and massaging them with lotion keeps them limber, promotes blood flow and just feels good.

Prevention

If you are someone with flat feet without pain, you can take steps to prevent it from staring.

  • wear proper shoes
  • get arch support insoles
  • wear shoes in the house
  • don't go barefoot
  • get foot massages and treatments

No one expects you to wear big boxy shoes all the time, but if you have a job where you are required to walk and stand a lot, like a nurse or work in a restaurant, then you need to have proper footwear.

Take care of your corns, blisters, calluses and keep your feet warm and dry. Trim your toenails, treat your feet to a soak to relieve pain and the aches of the day. Rub foot cream on before bed and after a bath to keep the skin soft and smooth.

Best Foot Forward

We need our feet and therefore, we need to be good to our feet. Flat feet pain is manageable, and a reminder that your feet need love, too. Taking care of the pain with proper shoes and diet will prevent other issues from coming up.

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