What To Know About Flat Feet

Do you have flat feet and aren't sure what is wrong? You aren't alone. We at Emerald Coast Podiatry see many people with this condition, and Dr. Cosimo Ricciardi  and Dr. Neil Patel are podiatrists serving Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, and Niceville, FL, who can help you with this issue. Understanding the symptoms, causes, and treatments of this condition may help you better recover from it with his help.

Symptoms May Be Subtle

Many people with flat feet never notice any symptoms until they look at their feet and notice that their arches have fallen. Often, people can go through their life with flat feet and experience no pain. These lucky people often don't need treatment and can live their life like normal without struggle.

That said, many more people need a podiatrist who can help with this condition. That's because flat feet can lead to foot pain and may worsen with regular activity. Thankfully, it is possible to understand flat feet causes and treatments with relative ease.

Reasons for Flat Feet

Some people are simply born without arches and have flat feet their whole lives. These individuals probably never develop pain because their feet simply adapt to this situation. However, people with fallen arches may experience high pain because their feet are not used to it.

Reasons for fallen arches typically include arthritis affecting your bone structure, weight gain that puts pressure on your feet, natural aging-related problems, injuries to the foot or ankle, and even diabetes. Treating this issue requires addressing these concerns and any others you may experience.

Treatments for This Problem

When you experience pain caused by flat feet, your doctor will go through x-rays, CT scans, ultrasound checks, and even do MRIs to spot where the problem originates. They may then provide many treatment options that can help you recover, such as Gait and function analysis focused on your specific issue. As well as custom or over-the-counter specialty shoe inserts to correct the basis for your pain. 

You may also go through various physical therapy steps, including stretching exercises and strengthening routines. However, you may get surgery for flat feet if you also experience a torn or ruptured tendon associated with that foot pain.

Let Us Help You

If you experience flat foot or other foot-related problems, please call one of our offices at Emerald Coast Podiatry. Dr. Ricciardi and Dr. Neil Patel are podiatrists who serve Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, and Niceville, FL, and can help you better understand your flat foot problem. Call our Fort Walton Beach office at 850-862-4119 or Crestview at 850-682-6522 to get the treatment help that you want and deserve.

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