Flatfoot, also called pes planus or fallen arches, is a common foot deformity. It happens when the arch of your foot collapses, so a larger area of the sole of your foot touches the ground while standing or walking. You could be born with flat feet, or you could develop it over time because of tendon damage or other issues.
Your arches are made of bones and connective tissue and they help you walk. They absorb shock and protect nerves and blood vessels in your feet. You could develop flatfoot in one foot or both feet.
You might not have any health issues from flat feet but it could cause discomfort, instability and trouble standing or walking for long periods. In most cases, treatment helps reduce pain and improve mobility and well-being.
Babies are naturally flatfooted but that’s not a problem. The arches normally start to appear in their feet when they start walking and finish developing around age 10.
With pes planus, the flattened arch may cause your ankle to roll in and your feet to point out. A bone on the inner side of your foot may appear more prominent.
There are several types of flatfoot that can cause symptoms.
Flexible flatfoot is common in children and they usually outgrow it but it can continue into adulthood. With it, the foot has an arch that appears when you’re sitting or standing on tiptoes but disappears when you’re standing and supporting your weight with your whole foot. It usually doesn’t cause pain but it can be uncomfortable over time.
With this rare type, you have no arches even when you’re sitting. It may be hard for you to flex your feet.
Birth defects or inherited disorders can keep arches from developing or make them too weak to remain in place.
This type develops when the posterior tibial tendon (a tendon that connects the muscle in the back of your calf to the inside of your foot) gets weaker or damaged. It’s also called fallen arches. The name was changed to progressive collapsing foot deformity to better reflect the condition. Other common causes include arthritis, trauma and ligamentous laxity (your ligaments are looser than normal).
With it, your arch collapses and your foot may become deformed. You may have soft tissue damage, tendon and ligament issues and ankle joint instability. It could be hard to walk or tiptoe. It may start as a flexible deformity but as arthritis of the joints under your ankle (subtalar joint) and in front of your ankle (talonavicular joint) set in due to prolonged deformity, the deformity becomes rigid.
Flat feet may be more likely because of:
Not everyone with flat feet has symptoms, but you may notice:
If you have foot pain that’s not going away, swelling or trouble walking, you should see a health care provider.
A specialist will likely:
If you don’t have symptoms, you don’t usually need to treat flat feet. If you do have symptoms, most of the time, surgery isn’t needed.
If these treatments don’t help enough with your foot pain and deformity, you may want to consider surgery. Options include one or a combination of the following:
Treatment may be less predictable if you have flatfoot that’s caused by diabetes, arthritis or connective tissue problems.
With proper care, most people with flexible flatfoot or adult acquired flatfoot can manage their symptoms and stay active. It can help to:
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