Whether you were born with feet with no defined arch or acquired them later in life, you have a condition called flat feet. Flat feet can cause pain and swelling throughout your lower body, making it more difficult to be active.
The only way to change your arch structure is with surgery, but by having skilled podiatrists, Thomas Rambacher, DPM, FACFAS, FAPWCA, and Amber O’Connor, DPM, create medical-grade custom orthotics for you at Podiatry Hotline Foot & Ankle in Mission Viejo, California, you can go about your day comfortably without surgery. Learn how custom orthotics can change your life if you have flat feet.
Flat feet are any feet that have no defined arch. In most feet, the arch is slightly higher than the front of the foot and heel. In a flat foot, they’re the same level.
You can tell if you have flat feet by looking at your wet footprint. Normally, you can only see the front and back of your foot in a wet footprint when your arch is raised. But you can see the entire arch if you have flat feet.
Some people are born with genetic flat feet. Others develop them later in life from an injury or years of overuse in the foot and tendon area.
Not everyone with flat feet has symptoms, but flat feet can cause foot pain and swelling. They can also cause you to walk differently in a way that can make your knees, hips, and lower back hurt.
It’s not possible to raise your arches after you’re born with or develop flat feet, unless you have surgery. Happily, most people can avoid surgery by getting medical-grade, custom orthotics that are wearable in everyday shoes.
Medical-grade custom orthotics are custom-molded inserts you can place into any pair of shoes. Depending on your needs, we could recommend either rigid or soft functional orthotics or accommodative orthotics.
Medical-grade custom orthotics can correct the following problems in anyone with flat feet:
Custom orthotics position your foot so it’s more comfortable and better able to move. This reduces or removes pain and swelling in your feet and lower body.
Wearing custom orthotics moves your arches, realigning your feet. This corrects problems like overpronation that are common in people with flat feet and can cause long-term problems.
Flat feet can cause you to walk in ways that make movement less comfortable and put you at greater risk of injuries. When you wear medical-grade custom orthotics, you walk with a natural gait with proper mechanics.
You get custom orthotics over two office visits at Podiatry Hotline Foot & Ankle. At the first visit, we determine the best custom orthotics for your foot type and create a custom 3D image of your foot.
Your orthotics are created in a specialty lab based on the imaging and our recommendations. When they’re finished, you come back to try the orthotics and ensure they’re the perfect fit.
If your flat feet are bothering you, medical-grade custom orthotics can get you back on your feet quickly. Contact us to get started creating yours.
