Flatfoot

Flatfoot

A mother came in with her adolescent son after she noticed that the arches of her son’s feet would disappear as soon he plants his feet firmly on the ground. Worried that it may cause some problems in his day-to-day life, they went to see a podiatrist. After the treatment was done, his feet had good-looking arches.

Flatfoot is a common disorder in which the arch of one or both feet flattens. It is easily identified, as the entire sole of the affected person’s foot touches the floor when they stand. While the condition itself is typically painless, it can cause problems elsewhere in the body due to the way it alters the alignment of the leg.

One of the most common varieties of the disorder is flexible flatfoot, which begins in childhood. The arch will appear when the child is sitting down or on tiptoe but disappears as soon as they put full standing pressure on the foot. While many children grow out of flexible flatfoot, for some in perpetuates into adulthood. It is also possible to acquire flatfoot as an adult, either by injury or as a result of diseases such as arthritis or diabetes.