The human foot has twenty six bones, thirty three joints, and more than one hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments1 that work all day every day as we walk, run, stand, or perform any other activity where our feet touch other objects. From the time we get up to the time we lay back down to go to bed much stress is put on our feet. Most people spend an average of four hours a day on their feet and walk on average eight thousand to ten thousands steps every day.2 One fairly common foot issue people have is pes planus or also referred to as pes valgus (flat feet) or having fallen arches.
It is normal for infants, toddlers, and young children to have flat feet and foot arches should develop as they age. However, in some cases foot arches never develop.3
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Flat feet may also arise or develop in adults due to:
- Stretch, torn, or some otherwise damaged tendons3
- Damage or inflammation to the posterior tibial tendon (PTT)3
- A broken or dislocated bone3
- Also other health conditions may play a factor in the development of flat feet such as obesity, diabetes, aging, and pregnancy3
Having flat feet does not mean problems with arise due to the condition but some symptoms to look for that may stem from having flat feet are:
- Ones feet get tired easily3
- Having painful feet3
- Aches in the arches and heel regularly3
- The underneath middle of the foot is swollen3
- If standing on your toes is difficult3
- If back and leg pain develop3
Keep in mind, many people have flat feet never have issues that cause pain, discomfort, or any of the above symptoms. So, unless you are having any issues of pain or discomfort with your feet you need not be concerned if you have flat feet or not. If you have have any of these issues and suspect that you may have symptoms that indicate problems of flat feet visit your doctor for a professional option.
1How to tell if you have flat feet (2013). Livestrong. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from
2Flat feet in adults (2001) Dynamic Chiropractic. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from
3What are fallen arches? (n.d) Webmd. Retrieved September 20, 2015, from
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As an athletic trainer we tend to deal with foot injuries quite a bit of the time so I found this blog to be super informative to those who do not truly understand a lot about feet. Everyone has different arches so everyone suffers differently than the next person so it is crucial to take care of our feet since we use them so much throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteVery good article again Matt, I can relate to this very well. Before I entered the Marine Corps, I had a normal arch in my foot, 4 years later after running and spending hours and days in combat boots, I am now flat footed with little to no arch at all.
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