Fascinating Flat Feet Facts

One way to tell if you have flat feet is when the entire bottom of your foot comes into contact with the ground when you walk, run, or stand. You can confirm this by standing with wet feet on a flat surface. You can see by the extent of the wet area if your arches are falling all the way to the floor.

Your arch is formed by tissues, ligaments, and tendons that connect your heel and toe bones together. The arches absorb a majority of the stress and pressure from the weight of your body so when they aren’t properly supported a wide variety of ailments can occur including knee, hip, and back problems that are caused by spinal misalignment.

Symptoms and causes of flat feet

People who have this condition will experience some or all of the following symptoms:

●      Pain, swelling, and discomfort in the heels and arches

●      Foot and ankle weakness

●      Standing on your toes causes pain

●      Knee, hip, and back pain can be caused by poor arch support

Some people inherit flat feet, but other causes include:

●      Torn and damaged tendons, ligaments, and soft tissues

●      Hairline fractures

●      Arthritis

●      Problems with nerves and numbness that can cause flat feet to go unnoticed

If you are having problems associated with flat feet, your podiatrist is here to help. At Fit Feet for Life, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies and years of experience to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including heel pain, sports injuries, toe deformities, nail fungus, and plantar warts.  Bonnie Sanchez, DPM, Gregory Cook, DPM, and Huy L. Nguyen, DPM provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area at our five offices conveniently located in Sun City Center, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and our two Tampa locations. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.