How to manage naturally and overcome the flat feet problem

People who have “fallen arches” or flat feet have feet with low or no arches, and they press them completely flat against the ground. The arch is the middle part of the foot that is usually raised off the ground when we stand while the rest of our foot remains flat on the ground.

The most common causes for flat feet are nerve problems, some health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, broken or dislocated bones, and damage or inflammation of the posterior tibial tendon (PTT), which connects from your lower leg, along your ankle, to the middle of the arch, stretched or torn tendons and an abnormality that is present from birth.

Also, there are other factors that can increase your risk of having flat feet, such as pregnancy, aging, diabetes, and obesity. The treatment of flat feet and fallen arches is depending on the cause and severity of this problem. If this condition is not causing pain or other difficulties, then you do not need to make any kind of treatment. [1,2,3]

23 natural ways in which you can manage flat feet:

Know when to get help

If your pain is severe or interferes you with your activities, then this is a reason why you should visit your doctor and make an exam. He or she will tell you about the best natural treatment that you have to do.

Sports you should avoid

You should avoid high–impact sports such as tennis, soccer, hockey, and basketball. [4]

Warm-up

You should stand and lift all ten toes up from the ground. Then, you should lower them. You should repeat this exercise twelve times. Then, you should lift all your toes (ten toes) off the ground, and then you should spread them apart. You should place the back on your ground, and then you should repeat this exercise twelve times. You should lift your right heel off the floor. You should feel the ball of your foot on the floor, and then you should roll from one side to the other. You should repeat this exercise twelve times.

Toe challenge

This exercise can improve coordination, intrinsic muscle strength, and toe flexibility. You should lift all ten toes off the floor. You should tap your big toes on the floor while all the other toes are lifted. Then, you should try this method with your little toes. Then, you should take all 10 toes off the floor, and you should place your little and big toes down while you are keeping your middle three toes lifted.

Rock and roll

This exercise can increase the strength and flexibility of your ankles. You should keep your feet on the floor. Then, you should rock them outwards, and then you should roll them inwards to stay on the insides of your foot. You should repeat this exercise twelve times.

Smart toes

If you want to improve the flexibility of your foot’s arch, then you should stand with flat feet on your floor. You should lengthen your toes along your ground, and then you should pull them in towards you. While you are doing this method, you should keep them on the floor. Your arches will rise slightly. You should keep your toes long rather than you are curling them. You should go back to the starting position, and you should repeat this exercise twelve times.

Activities that you should avoid

You should avoid some activities which put excessive stress on your feet, such as running on roads [5].

Limit or treat the risk factors

If you want to prevent this condition from getting worse, then you should limit or treat the risk factors which can worsen it, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes [6].

Stretches

You should talk with your physical therapist or doctor to show you stretches that can prepare you for the feet–intensive activities. In many cases, physiotherapists recommend stretching your muscles and connective tissues in your lower legs. This will help you to stop the foot from rolling over. Also, your physiotherapist can recommend you some exercises which you should do.

First aid tape

It is very important to have strong first aid tape. You should tape your arches tightly. What is important in this method is that you should not tape your whole foot. You just need to tape your arches. There are many doctors who have said that this natural treatment has helped to many patients, and it is considered to be more effective than any insert they can buy.

What you should wear

If you suffer from flat feet, then you should wear shoe inserts or footwear that are appropriate to your activity. It is very important to wear supportive shoes that fit well.

Losing weight

If you are overweight and you have flat feet, then it is very important to lose weight [6].

Wearing orthotics

It is very important to wear orthotics which are specially-made insoles. You should put them inside your shoes. They will support your feet. This will also help your feet to stop rolling inwards. If you are feeling any kind of discomfort, then you must talk with your doctor about the painkillers which you should take. [7]

What you should do when the pain occurs

When pain has occurred in your feet, you should rest at home. Also, you can apply ice on your feet. You can also try over–the–counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen.

Get on your toes

You should stand on your tippy toes and just walk around for 5 minutes every day. While you are doing this simple exercise, you should never let your heels touch the ground. Also, there is another worthy alternative to this exercise, and that is to make a barefoot toe treadmill.

Do toe spreads

You should lie down, stand or sit and you should fan your toes out as widely as possible. You should create a space between each toe. You should hold this position for 10 seconds. You should repeat this simple exercise 10 times daily per foot.

Try side walking

You should stand up, and then you should get in a shoulder-wide stance. You should bend your knees slightly, and then you should roll onto the outer edges of your feet. You should keep your weight on your outer feet. Then, you should slowly raise up your toes. When you are doing this simple exercise, you should feel longitudinal arch stretching. When you have succeeded in doing this simple exercise, then you should hold your position for 5 seconds. You should repeat this simple exercise 5 times every day.

Point at things with your toes

You should look at what you have in your room (you surely know what you have). You should pick something from your room. You should point your toes at that thing. Then, you should flex your foot. You should hold this position for 5 seconds, and then you should release it. You should do this simple exercise ten times per day per foot.

Also, there is extra work which you can do with your feet. You should try tracing the alphabet with your feet in midair, and you should do this exercise every day.

Go slowly

Many times is said that our shoes play a big role in our feet. Also, they have a big impact on our bodies. We want to look beautiful, and many times we do not choose the right shoes for us. But this can mean that we can have an increased risk of getting flat feet.

If we do not exercise regularly, then the risk of getting flat feet is big. You should do strengthening exercises before you do anything in your daily activities.

Walk in sand

Many doctors recommend walking in the sand because this is a very effective way in which you can strengthen your feet.

Try toe running

We live in an era where we hurry about everything. Most of the time, we spend in our shoes. But even if this is the case, we must try to stay on our toes the entire time. This is an exercise that will strengthen your muscles and ligaments and also it will prepare them for future activity.

Spend as much time as humanly possible with your beer feet

If you are at your home, then you should remove your shoes as soon as you enter your home. If you want to take out your dog, then you should try to circle your block with your bare feet. If you want to get the mail, you can also go shoeless. You should try to spend your time as much as possible without your shoes.

Stay away from orthotics and shoes with plenty of arch support

There are many cases in which it is said that shoes that are created for arch support and orthotics can make your condition worse. Your feet are not flexing, pushing, pulling, and grasping inside a pair of athletic trainers. Your feet are growing weak and soft. The fixing process of your feet requires some serious foot strength.

References

[1] Mosca VS. Flexible flatfoot in children and adolescents. Journal of Children’s Orthopaedics. 2010;4(2):107-121.

[2] Pita-Fernandez S, Gonzalez-Martin C, Alonso-Tajes F, et al. Flat foot in a random population and its impact on quality of life and functionality. Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research. 2017;11(4):LC22-27.

[3] Ezema CI, Abaraogu UO, Okafor GO. Flat foot and associated factors among primary school children: A cross-sectional study. Hong Kong Physiotherapy Journal. 2014;32(1):13-20.

[4] Michelson JD, Durant DM, McFarland E. The injury risk associated with pes planus in athletes. Foot & Ankle International. 2002;23(7):629-33.

[5] Sharma J, Upadhyaya P. Effect of flat foot on the running ability of an athlete. Indian Journal of Orthopaedics Surgery. 2016;2(1):119-123

[6] Hazzaa HH, El-Meniawy GH, Ahmed SE, Bedier MB. Correlation between gender and age and flat foot in obese children. Trends in Applied Sciences Research. 2015;10(4):207-215.

[7] Zhai JN, Qiu YS, Wang J. Effects of orthotic insoles on adults with flexible flatfoot under different walking conditions. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2016;28(11):3078-83.