Flat Feet: Causes, Symptoms & Effective Detection Methods

View Photos The causes of flat feet are not very well known leading to a lot of confusion regarding its treatment. The treatment of flat feet is possible and varied just like the causes of flat feet. Flat foot symptoms too are not always clearly observable. This is because we are not looking in the right places.

Symptoms Flat Foot:
You would say it is simple enough to detect. Your feet is flat because it is missing the arch in the sole. But actually it is not so easy to detect. Why?

• Firstly because the person who has it may not know for a long time. Who is sitting looking under their feet?
• If its a child, he or she may not know that the arch is supposed to be there at all.
• However, if you have persistent ankle pain from which all treatment yields only temporary relief then you must consider flat foot as a cause.
• Flat feet can also cause back pain, especially if you are overweight.
• It makes you susceptible to frequent fractures and ligament tears.
• The soles of your shoes will cave in the middle where it should be raised.

So to pick up the symptoms of flat foot you need to look for these specific signs.

Causes of Flat Feet:
There are three main cause of flat feet that are commonly found in people. They are;

1. Congenital Problem: When a baby is born it has flat feet and that is totally normal. Even in toddlers you will see flat footed ones as the arch of the foot develops latter in life. The time period varies from person to person but mostly flat feet in children occur because that arch fails to develop at all. This can be due to excess baby fat or loose joints resulting from lack of calcium.

2. Coalition Of Bones: For some children and adults an unique condition exits. Two bones of the heel region are connected in such a way that it hinders growth of the curve. This is medically termed as tarsal coalition and it is one of the main causes of flat feet.

3. Fallen Arches: This condition is associated with the wear and tear of the muscle tendons. Sometimes due to constant pressures or even excess strain of weight the tension in that curved arch falls leading to flat foot. This condition is called fallen arches because the arch exists but it falls under too much pressure. It is common in overweight children and adults.

Earlier, it was thought that flat feet are some kind of disfigurement but it is nothing more than a minor body disorder that has to be taken care of. So no matter what the cause be, it is possible to treat flat feet. It may not cause any problems to you at present but it eventually does lead to complications both major and minor. Use these sings to detect it early.