Can Flat Feet Cause Back Pain

Can Flat Feet Cause Leg Pain

Some flatfoot types can be painful in some cases. Leg cramps, for example, may occur. Pain in the foot or leg is due to muscle weakness.

Flat feet, also known as pes planus, pronated feet, and fallen arches, are a type of deformity with a variety of physical consequences. The majority of children suffer from this common flatfoot condition, which worsens as they age. Flat feet can be inherited or simply developed over time. In most cases, a child has flat feet as a result of a genetic defect. Despite their flexible feet, they can be treated with a variety of non-surgical treatments. At Advanced Foot, we provide both a clinical exam and an X-ray study to identify the type of flatfoot and its cause.

Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction

PTTD is a medical condition that affects one of the foots most crucial tendons: the posterior tibial tendon. Thats from where its name is generated. If a person has flat feet caused by PTTD, he/she may feel pain in the foot or along the back calf.

The tendons present in the foot are mainly responsible for supporting the arch. If the tendons are torn or get injured, it can lead to a collapsed arch. This way, the person can acquire painful flat feet, especially when walking or standing.

Seeking Treatment For Flat Feet

Know when to seek help from a medical professional. When pain is severe and interferes with your daily activities, its time to see the doctor for a thorough examination and treatment. If needed, flat foot surgery can provide permanent relief and may even create an arch where none existed. The surgical solution will ultimately be based upon your age, your exact symptoms, and the nature of your structural deformity.

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What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor

You may want to ask your healthcare provider:

• What caused my flat feet?
• Whats the best treatment for my flat feet?
• Am I at risk for other problems?
• Should I look out for signs of complications?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Everyone has flat feet at birth. By age 6, arches typically form. Sometimes, flat feet appear during the teen or adult years. You may have pain and difficulty walking. If flat feet cause problems, see your healthcare provider. Certain nonsurgical treatments, such as stretching exercises and orthotics, can ease pain and inflammation. In rare instances, you may need surgery.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 05/05/2021.

References

Shoes For Flat Feet And Knee Pain

There are a few things to consider when purchasing shoes if you have flat feet and suffer from knee pain. First, youll want to make sure the shoes have good arch support. A firm, supportive insole can help to take some of the stress off of your knees by providing better alignment for your feet. Youll also want to look for shoes that are lightweight and have a cushioned sole. A well-cushioned shoe will help to absorb some of the impact from walking and running, which can help to reduce knee pain.

When standing, the sole of your foot does not arch or leave the ground when you stand with flat feet. Flat feet can be avoided with the right footwear. Experts agree that high-heeled shoes with supportive soles are best suited for flat feet. With laces or velcro straps, your shoes can be customized in how the upper part fits around your foot. If you dont find good shoes for your feet, you might require custom orthotic inserts. Physical therapists can teach you exercises to strengthen your legs and feet.

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How Do Flat Feet Affect Your Overall Health

Your feet are the foundation for your entire body. Poor foot alignment and strength can affect the way that you hold your body and can even lead to injuries. One of the most common causes of foot pain and misalignment is a condition called flat feet, also known as fallen arches.

Your feet are made up of 26 bones and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The midfoot is the part of your foot that includes the arches, which provide support for your whole foot. The doctors at Urgently Ortho offer this information about what causes flat feet and how they can be treated.

Why Flat Foot Is Not Allowed In Army

Army personnel are required to go through a physical regimen. A person with flat feet wont be able to do these activities. If foot arch is not fully developed it will not act as a shock absorber, instead shock will be absorb by the bones of the foot.

A person who has a flat foot will have a hard time walking up stairs. The pressure on the heels is much higher than that of an arch, which is why a person cant walk up a flight of stairs without having to bend his or her knees.

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Flat Feet Versus Arched Feet

Flat feet, or fallen arches, is a relatively common condition that occurs when the arch on the bottom of the foot is not present. Most people have an arch that prevents their entire sole from touching the ground. However, people with flat feet don’t have the proper bone structure or tendon tension in their feet to provide this arch.

Flat feet can be identified by a single footprint. People with arched feet will leave behind a partial print of their foot, while flat-footed people will leave behind an imprint of their entire foot.

Children are usually flat-footed, as the bones and tendons in their feet haven’t developed yet. Some of these children never develop an arch, making them flat-footed for life. Some adults end up with flat feet after years of walking and standing, which weakens the arch structure. Obesity also increases the risk of flat-footedness over time.

What Are The Treatments For Flat Feet

The treatment for fallen arches depends on the cause and severity of the condition. If it isnt causing pain or other problems, the doctor may elect to do nothing.

However, if there is pain or mobility issues present, treatments may include bracing, prescribing NSAIDs for pain and inflammation, and even surgery in some cases of torn tendons or broken bones. An increasingly popular treatment for fallen arches is chiropractic care. This natural, non-invasive therapy treats the whole body so that it addresses the cause of the condition as well as associated risk factors and helps patients manage the pain, greatly improving their quality of life.

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How Do You Know If You Have Flat Feet

The easiest way to tell if you have flat feet is to do the footprint test. Find a surface that marks easily when it gets wet, like a concrete floor. Dip your bare foot in a pail of water and step on the surface, leaving a decent-sized imprint. The only areas that should be visible are the back, front, and toes of your foot. If you see that theres no gap in between the ball and heel, you may have flat feet.

Aside from back pain, other symptoms of flat feet may include:

• Fatigue, especially in the foot area
• Swelling on the inside of the feet
• Painful foot movement

If you experience any of the symptoms above, we suggest visiting your nearest podiatrist or general orthopedist to get an expert opinion.

What Causes Flat Feet

Flat feet are often found in infants and toddlers because the foot arches of young children have not fully developed.

As the child grows, the tissue that holds the joints in the foot will tighten to form an arch in the foot. This process generally occurs when children are 2-3 years old.

However, some people have never experienced the arch forming of the foot until adulthood. Having said that, flat feet will occur because the tendons around the foot are loosened.

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A Common Reason Why You Could Have Flat Feet

Flat feet are common as 26-70% of the population in the modern industrial world have flat feet. Why is this? Humans havent evolved to walk in shoes or on hard surfaces. Nor are we meant to sit for long periods of time in an office. We are designed to move and walk for long distances in bare feet on earth . Walking in bare feet on earth forces you to grasp the softer ground you are walking on. This strengthens the muscles in the feet helping to sustain a good arch. Cold weather and having the ground covered by asphalt and concrete in our modern world make it pretty hard to do this. So what ends up happening is our foot muscles and ligaments weaken and our arches begin to drop causing flat feet.

Weight Loss/toning Shoes And Back Pain

Paying attention to your footwear can help to prevent back pain caused by shoes, but which shoes are the main culprits of back pain in the first place?

First on our list is perhaps the most problematic and the least known about: figure-fixing shoes.

Toning shoes are designed with little mini pods on the soles that are similar to wobble boards. These mimic walking on an unstable surface and the aim of this is to make you work muscles in the legs that wouldnt normally be used when walking. However, the unusual sole of this shoe results in the abnormal distribution of body weight which, in turn, can lead to strain in the Achilles tendons, as well as injuries in the ankle, knee and back.

Toning shoes may also have a curved sole, which is again designed to make you use extra leg muscles when walking. These can also cause a change to walking posture, thus resulting in back pain. Without a flat sole on the shoe, there is also an increased likelihood of falls.

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Flat Feet May Be The Cause Of Your Chronic Lower Back Pain

If you consider the size of your feet relative to the rest of your body, you can begin to understand the engineering marvel that is the human body. Our complex musculoskeletal structures are interconnected in obvious and not-so-obvious ways. Much of it comes down to those two small extremities that are the foundation of it all.

At Active Rehab Clinics in Park Ridge and Bucktown, Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Tony Zemlinsky understands how a problem in one area can affect a seemingly unrelated area, such as the impact of flat feet on your lower back. Read on to learn how Dr. Zemlinsky helps patients overcome chronic lower back pain by addressing their fallen arches.

The Link Between Your Feet And Low Back Pain

If you live with lower back pain, you have a lot of company. Millions of Americans deal with acute lower back pain, and, unfortunately, this pain becomes chronic for 20% of sufferers. And when it comes to back pain, theres one cause thats often overlooked: your feet.

The connection between your feet and your lower back pain may not seem immediately obvious. However, there is more than one way that your feet and back pain can be linked. In this blog, the doctors at Washington Foot & Ankle Sports Medicine explain the connection between back pain and your feet.

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Flat Feet And Back Pain Might Have An Interrelation Due To Simple Physics

People with flat feet experience uneven weight distribution when walking, standing, and running.

As a result, their shoe heels are more comfortable and faster to wear on one side than the other. The center of gravity is the answer.

Symptoms of flat feet may also include complaints of legs that are tired or sick quickly after a long stand or exercise.

Running, for example, requires constant leg movements and leg muscles. So do not be surprised if the pain appears during running if you have flat feet.

In a rare case, feet sometimes still hurt even when you were already wearing supportive running shoes.

According to NCBI, there is a fact that having flat feet might also have a higher risk of biomechanics changes in the body.

As mention above, an imbalance in the body due to the uneven distribution of weight can affect the upper body as well. The center of gravity might not align in the right orientation.

Dysfunction in the arch of the foot can cause a disturbance in the lower limbs and lumbar spine. This will lead to a risk of back pain and injury.

Use High Heels With Great Discretion

Knowing what shoes to avoid may dramatically reduce your pain and discomfort. High heels may look great, but they put your body into a totally unnatural position. Vitality Chiropractic states that heels push the chest forward, the lower back forward and tilt the pelvis. They cause the calf muscles to stay in a flexed position the entire time, creating fatigue throughout your lower body. Does this mean you have to get rid of all your high heels? No, you should simply wear them for short periods of time and for special occasions. Use the principle of moderation.

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Best For Walking: Ryka Devotion Plus 3 Walking Shoe

• Too thin for cold weather

Rykas Devotion Plus 3 walking shoe stands out as a solid womens pick for those who love fitness walking and dont want back pain to get in the way of reaching their daily step count. With plenty of cushioning and support, especially around the arch, heel, and ankle, the shoe offers plush landings and good shock absorption, to help protect your back and joints.

The shoes roomy toe box, stable footbed, and narrow heel offer the perfect combination for a comfortable, secure fit. Meanwhile, the shoes durable, high-quality rubber outsole adds to the overall stability with dependable traction. It even provides enough grip, support, and protection for walking on moderate trails, making it a versatile option at a budget-friendly price.

A breathable engineered mesh upper and soft, smooth lining add to the shoes overall comfort. One concern we have is that the thin upper material may not be protective enough for cold weather, so the Devotion Plus 3 is better suited for walking in warm or cool conditions.

Price at time of publication: $100

Weight: 8.2 ouncesI Materials: Engineered mesh upper, lycra lining, rubber soleI Cushioning: MediumI Closure: Lace-up

Verywell Fit / Christine Luff

Flat Shoes And Back Pain

Completely flat shoes do not provide any support for your feet, which then has a knock-on effect on the rest of the body similar to what we have observed in wearing heels.

Flat shoes can cause tight Achilles tendons, as well as putting strain on the Plantar Fascia which helps to support the arches of the feet. This tightness can then result in fallen arches which is when the foot lies completely flat and pressed against the ground. If this is left untreated, over time it can lead to osteoarthritis of the knee joints.

On top of all this, flat shoes may cause overstretching or tearing of the tendons and ligaments in the feet, plus they put added pressure on the heel of the foot. This is because there is little or no shock absorption from the shoe itself, so instead the impact from movements like walking are taken on by the feet.

Another issue to bear in mind is that flat shoes can cause your feet to roll inwards . This may push the knees and hips out of alignment and further contributes to back pain.

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West Cary Wellness Can Help You Identify The Right Shoes

So, what do healthy shoes look like then? Healthy shoes are the opposite of all these. They are relatively new, without excess wear on the soles they elevate the heels less than an inch, avoiding the effect of walking downhill all day and they offer proper arch support. It can be hard to find stylish shoes that meet these three goals, but West Cary Wellness can assist. We serve those in Cary, Raleigh, Morrisville, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas with their back pain. The impact of gravity on our spine all starts at your feet and we can help figure out if shoes are a major contributing factor to your pain.

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What Exactly Are Flat Feet

The term flat feet refers to a lack of arch support in your feet. There are many reasons this occurs, including, failure of your arches to ever develop. When youre born, your feet are flat and your arches develop as you grow. For some, these arches never form, resulting in flat feet.

On the other end of the age spectrum, flat feet can develop as you get older. After years of wear-and-tear, the tendons that support your feet can begin to weaken, causing your arches to fall.

Flat feet dont pose any serious problems for many, as their bodies compensate for the deficiency. For others, however, flat feet can lead to painful problems in their feet and ankles, which can have an effect on distant joints and their backs.

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