FLAT FEET

Flat Feet in Children

• The appearance of FLAT FEET is normal and common in infants, partly due to "baby fat" which masks the developing arch and partly because the arch has not yet fully developed. The human arch develops in infancy and early childhood as part of normal muscle, tendon, ligament and bone growth. Training of the feet, especially by foot gymnastics and going barefoot on varying terrain, can fasilitate the formation of arches during childhood, with a developed arch occuring for most by the age of four to six years.
• Recent medical research indicates that arch support inserts and certain heel cups, inserted into a growing child's shoes, can facilitate the proper development of the longitudinal arch, by holding the foot in the correct neutral position while it is growing. There is little debate, however that going barefoot, particularly over terrain such as a beach where muscles are given a good workout, is good for all but the most extremely flatfooted, or those with certain related conditions such as plantar fasciitis.

Flat Feet in Adults

• Flat feet can also develop as an adult ("adult acquired flatfoot") due to injury, illness, unusual or prolonged stgress to the foot, faulty biomechanics, or as part of the normal aging process. Flat feet can also occur in preganant women as a result of temporary changes due to increased elastin during pregnancy.
• If a youth or adult appears flatfooted while standing in full weight-bearing position, but an arch appears when the person stands on tip-toe or pulls the toes back with the rest of the foot flat on the floor, this is called flexible flatfoot. Muscular training of the feet, while generally helpful, will usually not result in increased arch height in adults, because the muscles in the human foot are so short that exercise will generally not make much difference, regardless of tghe variety or amount of exercise. However, as long as the foot is still growing, there is still a possibility that a lasting arch can be created.