How Custom Orthotics Can Help Your Flat Feet

Flat feet are a relatively common cause of chronic foot pain, and without treatment, they can cause other symptoms, too. Fortunately, custom orthotics can relieve flat feet without surgery or downtime. Here’s how they work.

More than a third of men and women have flat feet (pes planus), a chronic condition when the curved arch portion of your foot “flattens out.” While some people are born with flat feet (congenital flat feet), many develop the condition later in life (adult-acquired flat feet), resulting in chronic foot pain and other uncomfortable symptoms.

At Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, Stephen Lazaroff, DPM, FACFAS, and Joel S Segalman, FACFAS, FACFAO, treat flat feet using a variety of methods, including custom orthotics designed to distribute weight and pressure more evenly. Custom orthotics can help relieve flat foot symptoms without turning to more invasive surgical options. Here’s how they could help you.

Flat feet: the basics

Your foot is an amazingly complex part of your anatomy, comprising 26 bones and dozens of joints, tendons, and ligaments. Your feet arch upward, providing flexibility and strength to support your body weight through various movements and motions during walking and other activities.

Sometimes, the arched part of your foot drops (or “falls”), compromising the support it typically provides. As a result, your gait pattern changes, leading to chronic foot pain and increasing the risk of pain in your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back.

Many people acquire flat feet from weight gain, including weight gain during pregnancy. Diabetes, neuromuscular conditions, vascular disease, arthritis, and traumatic injuries also increase the risk of developing flat feet.

How custom orthotics can help

Your arch in the midfoot includes bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments working together to provide support during movement or standing. It’s critical to address all these components to find relief for flat feet — and that’s how custom orthotics can help.

Unlike shoe inserts you can buy over-the-counter, custom orthotics are made on a patient-by-patient basis and designed for the unique contours of your feet. Each orthotic insert gets tailored to address the issues you face, like flat feet and chronic foot pain.

Over-the-counter inserts are for the general population without considering differences in foot shape, pressure, or individual biomechanics. As a result, you may find these products make your symptoms and underlying condition worse instead of better.

We offer both rigid and soft orthotics, depending on your unique needs. Plus, our orthotics can fit different athletic and dress shoes, using comfortable and durable materials.

Each orthotic is created in a special lab using detailed measurements we obtain during a thorough evaluation of your feet, symptoms, medical history, and gait pattern. In addition to relieving symptoms, custom orthotics improve your balance and joint alignment, reducing the risk of falls while preventing future problems with your knees and other joints.

Find relief for your flat feet

Foot pain might be common, but it’s not normal. To find out what’s causing your foot pain or to learn more about custom orthotics for flat feet, request an appointment online or call the team at Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists in Waterbury and Newtown, Connecticut, today.