Flat feet refer to when the midfoot or rearfoot rolls in and as a result flattens the arch. This is very common, with up to 80% of the population rolling in to some degree. However those who excessively roll in can have problematic flat feet.
Flat feet in children become an issue when they contribute to foot and lower limb pain and dysfunction. If the foot excessively rolls in, this can cause ankle instability, trips and falls, and hips and knees pain.
Flat feet in children will typically appear up to 7 years old, with an arch starting to form at 3 years old. This is because most of the foot bones are still forming. In particular, the keystone of the arch called the navicular has not yet formed until 7 years old.
At 3 years old, the gradual movement and changes of the soft tissues start to take place. This starts to strengthen surrounding muscles and form more of an arch. Children’s bones and ligaments are quite flexible, which is why an arch can sometimes take longer to form.
Should I be Worried About My Child’s Flat Feet?
If your child does have a flat foot, this is not a cause of alarm. We will undertake assessments to analyse the type of flat foot and flexibility.
Rigid flat feet are not very flexible and have the same flat arch when sitting and standing. This may be joint related or tighter packed ligaments around joints. This foot type tends to cause more lower limb issues, as it placed more stress through your tissues.
Another type of flat foot is the flexible flat foot, where the arch appears when sitting but flattens when standing. This foot type is adaptable and able to undertake a lot softer tissue strain when standing and walking.
Depending on the type of flat foot and presenting symptoms, will determine the treatment plan.
What Can Be Done For Flat Feet
For the flatter arch, we typically recommend strengthening the foot and ankle muscles, footwear modifications and annual monitoring.
However if flat feet in children start to cause issues, as mentioned above we will also incorporate orthotic therapy. Orthotics help stabilise the foot, reduce tissue stress by holding the arch up and reducing the rate of rolling in.
Should your child have flat feet, an assessment from our podiatrists can help to determine the type of flat foot. Following this assessment an appropriate treatment plan is given.
