Here are some of the problems caused by flat feet:

• Heel pain (worse in the am or when getting up after sitting a while)
• Calf fatigue and ache at  the end of the day
• Shin splints

In order to understand why flat feet cause problems we have to understand a little bit about the way a normal foot functions.  In the normal foot the heel first hits the ground on the back outside corner of the heel.  Then as the foot is lowered to the ground the foot under goes a motion known as pronation.  Pronation is the motion of flattening out of the arch as the foot rotates toward the floor (externally rotates).  Pronation allows all the bones of the mid-foot to unlock and become like a “bag of bones”.  Being a loose “bag of bones” enables the foot to adapt to uneven surfaces (uphill, downhill, rocky surface, etc.). Pronation is also important because it allows the foot to absorb shock.

Further along in the step the foot undergoes a motion known as supination. Supination is the opposite of pronation. In supination the foot rotates up from the floor. Supination re-locks the bones of the mid-foot and transforms the foot into a rigid lever arm to provide an efficient push-off and propel the body forward.

The problem with flat feet is that the foot remains pronated throughout the step.  The problem of flat feet is therefore refferred to in medical terms as hyperpronation.  The foot does not supinate as the foot moves into the later stages of the step.  If the foot cannot supinate it remains essentially a loose “bag of bones” and you are unable to use the foot as an efficient, firm lever arm for push off the floor and propel you forward.

Hyperpronation can cause the heel pain known as plantar fasciitis. The typical symptom of plantar fasciitis is severe heel pain when taking the first few steps in the morning or during the first few steps after sitting for a few minutes.  Hyperpronation causes excessive flattening of the arch.  This causes the ligament called the plantar fascia on the bottom of the foot to stretch out too much.  The excessive pulling on the plantar fascia causes inflammation where the plantar fascia inserts into the heel.

If the foot does not supinate it cannot form an efficient lever arm.  As a result, the calf muscles have to work all that much harder in order to propel the body forward. This causes fatigue and ache in the muscles of the lower legs at the end of the day. In addition if the calf muscles are working harder they become very strong and bulky.

Strong and bulky calf muscles can lead to a condition known as shin splints. The term “shin splints” usually refers to pain along the inside-front part of the lower leg. Shin splints is usually caused by an imbalance between the calf muscles on the back of the lower leg (posterior muscles) and the anterior muscles or muscles on the front part of the lower leg. The more powerful posterior muscles overwork the less powerful anterior muscles as the anterior muscles try to decelerate the body at heel strike. This causes excess strain, inflammation and pain where the anterior muscles attach to the shin bone.

In conclusion, someone with flat feet has very inefficient foot function and this can lead to heel pain, muscle fatigue and shin splints. By adding an arch support, the foot is prevented from hyperpronating and this improves the over-all efficiency of the foot function.  Occasionally you can buy an arch support off-the-shelf that provides support.  However, in most cases, the off-the-shelf insoles only provide cushioning and do not correct the hyper-pronation.  Life is too short to suffer in pain, especially when the problem can be easily corrected.

If someone is having pain as the result of flat-feet it makes sense to spend the extra money to purchase a custom arch support that will correct the problem once and for all.

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