Flat Feet And Your Child’s Posture: What You Need To Know
Good posture lets your muscles and joints work more efficiently, improving your balance, flexibility, and range of motion. Unfortunately, maintaining good posture is a struggle for kids with flat feet.
Since they either have no arches or have a very low one, their feet can’t lie entirely on the ground. This difficulty often leads to pain and discomfort.
If you’re a parent wanting to manage your child’s foot condition, you came to the right place. This post will plunge into the impact of being flat-footed on one’s posture and how to remedy this condition.
Why is Posture Important?
Good posture is essential for overall well-being. Maintaining proper alignment reduces the strain on your muscles and joints, minimizing aches and pains in your back, neck, and shoulders.
It makes movement smoother and easier and improves your balance and coordination. Hence, children with flat feet may need intervention to improve their condition and balance.
Good posture also expands your lungs, enhancing your respiratory capacity and oxygen intake. It can significantly improve your stamina.
Furthermore, standing or sitting tall boosts your confidence and self-esteem, projecting a positive image and enhancing social interactions.
Proper posture also plays a vital role in preventing injuries in everyday activities and during exercise. You inevitably reduce the risk of strains, sprains, and other musculoskeletal issues by aligning your body correctly.
Moreover, proper posture has surprising benefits for your internal organs. It aids digestion by ensuring optimal space for your digestive system to function efficiently.
Flat Feet in Children
Doctors sometimes use "fallen arches" or "pes planus" to describe flat-footedness. Typically, people with this condition have minimal or no space beneath the inner part of their feet when standing.
Pes planus is common in children and often resolves as they grow. On the other hand, developing it as an adult usually signals an underlying issue affecting the feet.
It can also cause pain, swelling, or stiffness in the feet, legs, and back. Treatment is usually only necessary if one’s flat-footedness causes discomfort. The same goes if it’s linked to another condition or leads to pain in other body parts.
When it causes other symptoms, simple measures like using insoles for flat feet and specific exercises can often alleviate discomfort.
How Does It Develop?
The human foot is a complex structure. It has 33 joints connecting 26 bones and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
The arches of the feet are crucial for shock absorption and weight distribution, influencing how a person walks. These arches must be solid and flexible to adapt to various surfaces and pressures.
People with pes planus often experience overpronation, meaning their feet roll inward when standing or walking, which can also cause the feet to point outward.
While it often develops in childhood, it can also occur in adulthood. Many people have no flat feet symptoms, while others experience different degrees of discomfort depending on the severity of the condition.
What Are the Causes?
Flat-footedness is common in infants and toddlers because their arches haven't formed yet. While most people develop arches during childhood, some never do, which doesn't always cause issues.
Flexible flat footedness is common, where the arch is visible when sitting or standing on tiptoes but disappears when standing flat. Most children outgrow this without problems.
Flat feet can also develop in adults, either suddenly after an injury or slowly over time due to wear and tear. The tendon supporting the arch can weaken or tear, leading to its collapse. As the condition progresses, arthritis may develop in the foot.
What Are the Symptoms?
While many flat-footed children don't experience any problems, some may experience discomfort or pain. Common symptoms include:
Muscle aches or cramps in the feet or legs
Pain in the arch, ankle, heel, or outer foot
Discomfort while walking or changes in gait
Toes pointing outward (toe drift)
If your child experiences any of these flat feet symptoms, it's essential to consult with a pediatric foot doctor.
How to Diagnose
Your child’s doctor can usually diagnose their condition by examining their feet and observing how their arches appear when standing, sitting, and walking. They may also order X-rays to understand their foot's bone structure better.
Managing and Treating the Condition
Treatment is unnecessary for flat-footedness if they don't cause pain or discomfort. However, if your child experiences pain, your doctor may recommend:
Arch Supports (Orthotics)
Over-the-counter or custom-made arch supports for flat feet children can help relieve pain by providing support and cushioning. While they won't cure the condition, they often reduce symptoms significantly.
Stretching Exercises
These exercises can target a shortened Achilles tendon and help alleviate pain and improve flexibility.
Physical Therapy
Your child’s physical therapist can design a program to strengthen foot and leg muscles, improve gait, and prevent overuse injuries. This option is particularly beneficial for flat-footed runners.
Surgery
This treatment plan is rarely necessary. It’s only considered when other treatments for children with flat feet fail to relieve pain that significantly limits daily activities. Surgical procedures may involve repairing bone or tendon issues causing the pain.
Give Your Child a Strong Foundation for a Healthy Feet
Are you concerned about your child's flat-footedness? Don't wait for pain or complications to arise. At Prime Foot and Ankle Specialists, we understand the value of early intervention and personalized care for growing feet.
Our experienced podiatrists offer expert evaluation, diagnosis, and a range of non-surgical treatment options customized to your child's needs. We'll guide you through every step, ensuring your child's feet have the support they need to thrive.
Set your child's feet up for a lifetime of healthy strides. Schedule a consultation with our flat feet specialists today.