Fixing Flat Feet and Overpronation

Never get caught “flat footed” again if somebody asks about overpronation.

Overpronation occurs when the arch of the foot collapses downward and inward. This condition is commonly known as flat feet or fallen arches. A way to determine if your own feet are flat is to stand upright as see if the entire soles of your feet touch the floor.

Some people live with flat feet all their lives never experiencing any symptoms. Others with flat feet will battle chronic discomfort and varying levels of pain along with an increased risk for injuries of the foot and ankle.

Let’s look at why this happens and how flat feet affects our body alignment.

The Problem with Overpronation

Some pronation is normal, whereas overpronation is an excessive movement inward toward the arch. How your foot touches the ground can affect the body as a whole. It can disrupt natural alignment and increase the level of impact with each step an individual takes.

Flat feet or overpronation make it more difficult to provide adequate support, which can lead to significant pain in the hips, knees, and back that all can be caused by uneven weight distribution. Poor posture and pain while running or walking for extended periods of time are also included in the list of potential problems caused by flat feet.

Certain health conditions may develop from overpronation, including:

• Stress fractures in the foot or lower leg
• Chronic back pain
• Achilles tendonitis
• Inflammation of the ligament on the outside of the knee

These issues are especially common among athletes, though they have the ability to affect any person regardless of their activity levels.

10 Causes of Flat Feet

Many people with flat feet have inherited it from their family members who have likely been diagnosed with the condition for several generations. Babies are born with flat feet until their arches are develop as they grow older, but some people are never able to develop a proper arch in their foot.

A person’s arches may also start to fall later in life from the following conditions:

• Damaged or torn tendons
• Dislocated bones
• Pregnancy
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Certain nerve conditions
• Aging
• Simple wear and tear
• Obesity
• Diabetes

Treatments for Flat Feet in Shreveport, LA

There are some simple treatments anyone with flat feet can do at home to avoid and relieve pain caused by flat feet. Choose shoes that offer needed support to the feet, add orthotic inserts to your shoes, and begin exercises to strengthen your foot muscles and arches.

If at-home remedies are not working well for you and you continue to deal with chronic pain from flat feet, see Dr. Morreale at The Foot Institute in Shreveport, Louisiana right away for proper diagnosis and treatment!