Are you at risk for developing collapsed or fallen arches? Are you already suffering from fallen arches or flat feet? If you answered yes, then there’s no need to worry, because helping you relieve pain and treat fallen arches is a FootSmart specialty.

Learn More About Fallen Arches

Now that you know that fallen arches is the reason your feet hurt so much, you may be interested in more information about your condition.

People with fallen arches have flat feet, meaning you don’t have any arch support. With no foot arch to support their steps, those suffering from fallen arches shift pressure to other parts of the foot to make up for that lost support. The foot can turn outward at the ankle, for example, causing a walk that’s concentrated on the inner boarder of the foot.

Walking with fallen arches can therefore cause a great deal of pain, since your feet are not designed to walk this way. Other symptoms of fallen arches include:

Since fallen arches are not very supportive, fallen arches can also cause your body to become misaligned, resulting in knee and lower back pain.
Fallen arches also put more strain on the ligament and tendons that support the foot and ankle, so as time goes by, your bones can actually collapse, leading to such conditions as ankle sprains, heel spurs and even arthritis.

These possible symptoms showcase why it’s so important to get help for your fallen arches. Over time, if fallen arches are left untreated, other more serious foot and lower body joint problems can develop, so it’s important to seek help as soon as you realize you have a problem with fallen arches.

Now, you’re probably thinking… What did I do to my feet to develop fallen arches? Well, most likely you didn’t do anything to cause your fallen arches. That’s because fallen arches can be a heredity condition, developing in some people at a very early age. Fallen arches can also just be a result of time and aging, since your foot arch muscles weaken over time.

Some other factors that may have contributed to your development of fallen arches include:

People who stand or walk for long periods of time in high heels are at risk for fallen arches. If your job required a lot of time on your feet – such as retail personnel, teachers or nurses – it’s important to wear shoes with comfort and support features that won’t lead to conditions like fallen arches.
People who wear footwear missing crucial arch support can also develop fallen arches.
People who are overweight or obese are also at a higher risk for developing fallen arches, since so much strain is placed on the foot.

Solutions for Fallen Arches

The best way to treat fallen arches is to start wearing proper footwear. FootSmart has a wide selection of comfort shoes with arch support that you can try, or can actually buy arch supports or insoles for your current comfort shoes. Whatever inserts you decide on to help treat fallen arches, just make sure they support the arch and help stabilize the heel. Custom orthotics are another good option for treating fallen arches. Just please don’t wear high heels if you want to relieve the pain from fallen arches.

People who have very serious cases of fallen arches and flat feet may need surgery to stabilize the bones and improve foot support and function. Please visit your doctor immediately if you are unsuccessful at relieving the pain caused by fallen arches with inserts and proper shoes.

Information on foot, leg and lower body health conditions like plantar fascia pain provided by The Podiatry Institute, dedicated to advancing the standard of care in podiatric medicine and its effects on musculoskeletal health.