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Flat feet or the lack of an apparent arch
when standing, may be genetic or due to lax ligaments
in the foot. Children until the age of 3 do not have
arches and always look as if they had flat feet.
For some people with flat feet, this is
just the shape of their feet. It just runs in the family.
For others, flat feet develop later in
life, due to arthritis, an injury or a ruptured tendon
of the foot.
For others again, flat feet may be due
to a loose ligament the the heel joint (subtalar joint)
or at the base of the big toe.
Rolling in of the foot is called "pronation"
and since the feet of these people roll in more than
normal, they are said to be "over-pronating".
Long-term over-pronation can easily lead
to Arch
Pain, Plantar
Fasciitis, Heel
Spurs, Bunions,
Knee Pain,
and/or Back
Pain. Flat feet are therefore guilty of causing
the majority of skeleto-imbalance-related ailments,
since the feet are the foundation of the body, and just
as in constructing a building, when the foundation is
imbalanced, so will the rest of the framework.
The effects of flat feet develop slowly,
and result from flat feet's long-term damage on the
body's joints. Some lucky people with flat feet never
will suffer any discomfort at all. However for those
who do, walking can become awkward and painful.
Orthotics, especially if they are custom-made,
will provide correct support to the arch of the foot
and medial rearfoot posting at all times and prevent
the rolling in of the foot.
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