When the arches of the heels collapse, the entire foot (or most of it) is in contact with the ground when walking. Having flat feet may result in discomfort when you do vigorous exercise. There are multiple types of flat feet, including:
- Flexible flat foot, in which the arch of the foot can be seen only when the feet are lifted off the ground (often painless)
- Short Achilles tendon, which can often cause people to walk on their toes
- Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, which results from injury to, swelling of, or tearing of the tendon connecting your calves to your ankles
People who are at high risk of flat feet include:
- Individuals with a family history of flat feet
- Obese people
- People suffering from hypertension
- Individuals with Cerebral Palsy and other diseases that affect the muscles
Treatments include orthotics, special diet and exercise programs, special shoes or supports, medications like ibuprofen and naproxen. Surgery may be recommended in rare cases.
