It is only a natural phenomenon that people end up with slight variations in their feet’s appearance or shape. In fact, it is estimated that 30% of the population worldwide has a flat foot condition.
A flat foot is distinctive by its, well, flat appearance, where the arches inside your feet do not have a curved shape, but rather has a flat configuration. This practically means your entire feet sole rest directly in contact with the ground when you walk.
This makes people prone to various types of feet-related pain and injuries, primarily because their feet directly absorb all the pressure and stress. This is when the insoles for flat feet come to the rescue. These insoles provide an ideal solution by forcing your feet to stay in an elevated and curved position to enable uniform stress distribution and also to ensure a more comfortable walking/ running routine.
Some of the potential side effects of a flat foot that could lead to a more severe form of feet damage if proper cautions are not employed are:
- Deteriorates your foot arch’s capacity over time
When your feet lie in direct contact with the ground, the majority of all that force/ stress applied to it is absorbed by your flat arches. Initially, you may not feel any significant changes while walking or running normally, but as time progresses, this force absorption mechanism will reduce its capacity to support your body weight.
In addition to this, your mobility/ flexibility will also be compromised as your foot arch starts giving up on its shock-absorbing capacity. This particular condition will become quickly apparent for people involved in performing various athletic activities on a daily basis, and hence, can put their on-field efficiency on a major threat as well.
- It can cause several foot conditions
The flat foot has been associated with the development of some of the common foot conditions such as Bunions and Plantar Fasciitis. These foot conditions are painful and also play a key role in limiting your foot movement over time, as well.
Plantar Fasciitis, in specific, is a type of painful foot phenomenon that occurs as a result of the complete flattening of the arch. This causes your plantar fascia ligament to stretch out abnormally, leading to the formation of inflammation over time.
Bunion refers to a specific condition in which a bony bump is developed on the base joint of your big toe due to excessive rubbing and stress against it.
Insoles help you protect your feet by providing a curved arch to distribute your bodyweight uniformly, so it does not have to stretch out or experience excessive stress and avoid the formation of such painful inflammations in the future.
- It can manipulate your body posture and cause uneven movements
The problems you experience with your flat foot do not restrict themselves to your foot area only. In fact, a large proportion of these problems branch out to the rest of your body as well. Your body posture, in particular, is affected severely as a result of your flat foot condition. Your feet tend to roll inwards as a result of such conditions, and ultimately, your body tries to compensate for this awkward inward folding motion by disorienting your upper body stance/posture.
This awkward body posture will become a permanent issue if you do not seek medical help or start implementing a suitable foot insole to correct your foot alignment and, most importantly, your body posture.
