The arches of the feet, which arise due to the action of ligaments and tendons on the tarsal and metatarsal bones, are highly important for healthy walking and running. They greatly reduce everyday wear and tear on the muscles, bones, and other connective tissue of the lower limbs. Moreover, they help store potential energy from steps, meaning each stride takes less effort. But there are a number of conditions, ranging from illnesses and soft tissue injuries to pregnancy, that can cause the arches to fall. This is medically known as pes planus and commonly called flat feet.
Losing the physical benefits of the arches has adverse effects including increased risk of injury, such as stress fractures, and reduced athletic performance. People with flat feet are at risk of other musculoskeletal problems because of poor posture due to a ground-up state of musculoskeletal misalignment. Postural-related low back pain, for instance, can have its true root cause in fallen arches. Rigid flatfootedness, in which the soles stay in a fixed flat position even when the patient is not standing, can even cause significant chronic pain in itself.
When it comes to flat feet and other movement-related musculoskeletal dysfunctions, physical therapy offers many solutions that are minimally invasive and give long-term relief. JAG PT, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York’s top local name in physical therapy, has helped countless patients with foot disorders including flatfootedness alleviate pain and move better for good. Book an appointment with us today or view more below on how PT can help you deal with flat feet.
How Do Flat Feet Contribute to Lower Back Pain?
The primary way flat feet affect other parts of the musculoskeletal system is through overpronation. In other words, if your arches have fallen, you will tend to turn your feet in such a way that you bear more weight on the inner edges. This causes the ankles to deviate from their natural resting position and to absorb force awkwardly during movement. In turn, the knees, hips, and lower spine can also come out of alignment, causing strain from weight that is not borne correctly. Meanwhile, the body may attempt to compensate for the inefficiency of walking with flat feet by involving the muscles of the lumbar region in movement. This puts undue strain on this area and can easily result in lower back pain. All of these factors together mean that standing or walking for long periods with flat feet tends to worsen discomfort.
What Symptoms Might Suggest Flat Feet Are Causing Your Back Pain?
If you suspect fallen arches may be contributing to your back pain, one effect of flatfootedness in particular is very visible: Uneven wear on your shoes. Because of the way flat feet change your weight distribution, you may observe that your shoe soles are more worn down closer to your big toe than your pinkie toe.
In physiological terms, you might experience pain that begins after you’ve been on your feet for longer than normal – whether that’s standing, walking, or running. You may also have stiffness in your calves and especially your feet, a sensation of fatigue in your feet more so than in your legs, and newly arisen knee or hip discomfort. As noted above, the symptoms of flatfootedness are not limited to just the feet. The lower back, especially, can be heavily affected by pain due to flat feet.
What Can Physical Therapy Do to Help?
When you first visit a physical therapist to treat flatfootedness, the initial step is likely to be gait analysis. This technique allows your PT to determine the extent of the issue and how your fallen arches are changing your posture. Using this information, you will then receive individualized advice on posture correction and lower body exercise. This exercise regimen is likely to focus on improving joint alignment and strengthening the muscles of the foot for better support and weight bearing. You may also be instructed to work on your core muscles, and you may be given manual therapy if you have shortened or inflamed calf or hamstring muscles. Finally, some patients with flat feet are advised on using custom orthotics in their shoes to deal with the day-to-day effects.
Do You Always Need Orthotics for Flat Feet?
However, while orthotics are helpful for a certain portion of people who have flat feet, not everyone with this condition needs them. In general, if the soles of the feet are still flexible, if the patient only feels foot, leg, or back pain under certain circumstances, and if the issues are primarily caused by overpronation or posture problems, orthotics are probably not needed. However, in cases of rigid flat feet, flatfootedness that limits mobility, severe lower body pain, or pain that occurs on a consistent, daily basis, orthotic inserts can help greatly.
Since everyone’s musculoskeletal system is subtly different, your decision whether or not to use orthotics should be based on a professional evaluation. Keep in mind, however, that the more successfully you address the root causes of flatfootedness symptoms with PT, the less likely it is that you will need inserts for your shoes.
Get Back on Your Feet—Literally—with JAG Physical Therapy
If the arches of your feet have fallen, even if you don’t have symptoms currently, PT care can mean the difference between troublesome musculoskeletal issues and pain-free movement. At JAG PT, we offer our patients with flat feet and other lower limb conditions personalized, empathetic treatment focusing not only on the feet and legs, but also the lower back. Schedule your appointment today to relieve your pain from flat feet and return to your routine moving better.