Weak Arches / Flat Feet

[TeeDee]

I have a friends whose 11 year old daughter has weak arches or Flat feet - anyone got experience of this and is there anything one can do ( exercises ) to remedy this??

I always find the diverse group at BCUK normally have some useful contributions , hence the questions.

 

[Jackroadkill]

Yes, I have totally collapsed arches and my feet, ankles, knees, hips, back (especially) and neck all gave me grief as a teenager because of this condition. I got them looked at when I was about 14 and had some orthotics made to counter the effects. They worked to a degree, as did the exercises I was given, but I was a bit late to really do a huge amount about them.

I initially was taken to our GP who referred me to a podiatrist, who referred me in turn to a private foot-whisperer (he made the orthotics). If I were to offer your friend any advice it would be to get his daughter seen to ASAP, before it's too late.

Cheers,

JRK

 

[TeeDee]

Yes, I have totally collapsed arches and my feet, ankles, knees, hips, back (especially) and neck all gave me grief as a teenager because of this condition. I got them looked at when I was about 14 and had some orthotics made to counter the effects. They worked to a degree, as did the exercises I was given, but I was a bit late to really do a huge amount about them.

I initially was taken to our GP who referred me to a podiatrist, who referred me in turn to a private foot-whisperer (he made the orthotics). If I were to offer your friend any advice it would be to get his daughter seen to ASAP, before it's too late.

Cheers,

JRK

So Exercises per se you found useless or did you apply yourself less than you could as a teenager??

 

[Janne]

Yes I have. When I was young, I was forced to do daily exercise, and to wear steel inserts in my shoes for years. The exercises made my feet ache lots. The inserts were a torture, got blisters in the arches, then thickened skin that was like leather and did crack and cause pain.
Could hardly run.
Despite receiving the best possible treatment at that time, my arches did not improve. I was told I would be rejected to join the Swedish army, which I started to train for age 14.
They were wrong. I joined a unit that skis, and walks huge distances.
Absolutely no problems from my feet.
I am now closer to 60 than 55 - no problems from my feet.

Arches still low.

The only advice I would give to the girl is to learn to walk with her feet pointing to the straight front, and not to twist them to the side.
If she walks like a duck, she is twisting her feet to the side. This will cause wear of one of the joints on the inside of the foot.

 

[TeeDee]

Yes I have. When I was young, I was forced to do daily exercise, and to wear steel inserts in my shoes for years. The exercises made my feet ache lots. The inserts were a torture, got blisters in the arches, then thickened skin that was like leather and did crack and cause pain.
Could hardly run.
Despite receiving the best possible treatment at that time, my arches did not improve. I was told I would be rejected to join the Swedish army, which I started to train for age 14.
They were wrong. I joined a unit that skis, and walks huge distances.
Absolutely no problems from my feet.
I am now closer to 60 than 55 - no problems from my feet.

Arches still low.

The only advice I would give to the girl is to learn to walk with her feet pointing to the straight front, and not to twist them to the side.
If she walks like a duck, she is twisting her feet to the side. This will cause wear of one of the joints on the inside of the foot.

Janne - do you mean if she walks with her feet in a non neutral parallel alignment? but at sort of 20 - 30 deg angles?

Or do you mean the actual foot bottom ' rolling ' in so walking more on the inside of her insole??

 

[Stew]

Ditch the inserts - look into barefoot style shoes / minimalist shoes / zero heel drop.

 

[TeeDee]

Ditch the inserts - look into barefoot style shoes / minimalist shoes / zero heel drop.

Anychance you can expand upon your statement some as currently i'm unsure WHY your advising that.

 

[Stew]

Anychance you can expand upon your statement some as currently i'm unsure WHY your advising that.

I'll send you a PM about it.

 

[Janne]

Janne - do you mean if she walks with her feet in a non neutral parallel alignment? but at sort of 20 - 30 deg angles?

Or do you mean the actual foot bottom ' rolling ' in so walking more on the inside of her insole??

Straight firward is 12 o’clock, ok?
If her right toes point at 12.10 or more, and the left toes 11.50 or less, she is then walking more on the inside of her feet.
That can be gradually corrected by learning (I did that)
If she is twisting her feet even more and walking so the outside of her sole is in the air - operation might be needed. A friends daughter had that.

 

[Janne]

Ditch the inserts - look into barefoot style shoes / minimalist shoes / zero heel drop.

I endorse this. Wearing this type of shoes gives the feet a chance to gorm naturally.
No growing child should wear a high herl shoe, as the calf muscles will not develop cirrectly.

Also if a child has foot development problems, the soles should be soft and flexible.
Plus, no shoes at home, just socks.

Gods created us to walk bare footed. Not having a shoe where the toes are forced into a rigid pointy cone and the heel is 3 inches higher than the ( compressed) toes.

Those shoes are only ok to wear on Friday evenings at home, gentlemen!

 

[santaman2000]

I think I'd get evaluated by a podiatrist. Maybe even two for a second opinion.

 

[Janne]

In Europe, an orthopaedic surgeon would be somebody I took my child to.

 

[petrochemicals]

Get sport shoes, comfy with arch support, it will encourage exercise and may raise the arches.

 

[TeeDee]

Shes active enough and wins most of her races at school. Its more the long term concerns that we are looking to prevent.

 

[Dogoak]

I'm also in the school of thought of going to a podiatrist, professional guidance should be a must.

Supperfeet insoles provide arch support, quicker to get them from a shop than waiting for inserts to be made.

 

[petrochemicals]

Shes active enough and wins most of her races at school. Its more the long term concerns that we are looking to prevent.

Well then it will sustain the activity, and the arches may raise. Flat feet + activity especially running equal achillies tendon hamstring and liggament trouble. If she wins most of her races with flat feet she must be good! The arch adds a lot to the locomotion.

 

[Toddy]

Which arch though ? if it's the one across the ball of the foot, then shoes can be a real issue. Swimming's supposed to be excellent exercise for the feet without the strain/pressure of weight bearing.

 

[Janne]

I have not experienced any lower prestanda from my duck feet.

I do not know how a ‘normal person’ walks but I walk more on the front part of the foot. I learned to do that when I learned to point the feet more forward.

Feels good.
I think it is imposdible to give advice when we donot know the severity of her feet.

I still do not recommend arch supporting inlays. Painful, and only makes the tendons and joints in the foit weak, as they are resting against the support.

If you choose to give her support, I would not buy one off the shelf, but have one custom made, one that fits her foot and affliction perfectly.

I would never recommend anybody getting a prefabricated crown for a tooth either. Same principle.

 

[woodsorrel]

I can't vouch for the science, but the exercises on this website worked for me. I performed them every morning when I got out of bed.

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/flat-feet-treatment/

- Woodsorrel

 

[RichardJackson]

I would look into 'barefoot' shoes and the understanding of foot development and function behind them.

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