The feet are the parts we use every day. Humans have evolved their feet on the ground. Compared with the four-footed ground, they need stronger feet to support the entire body. When your feet are not good and your mobility is limited, your life will be greatly affected. The most common but often overlooked foot problem of modern people is none other than flat feet. Let’s make it simple today. Learn about our feet, the common myths, and the truths of flat feet.

Ankle structure 

Our feet are a very delicate structure, with 28 bones, 42 muscles for movement and control, and many tiny nerves and blood vessels covering our feet. The foot is mainly divided into three parts, namely the forefoot, the midfoot, and the hindfoot, which together form the most important arch of our feet.

 

Charming arch

The many small bones of our feet are like arch bridges supported by muscles and ligaments. Three small bridges are built on the soles of the feet. They are three arches: the medial longitudinal arch, the lateral longitudinal arch, and the transverse arch. , The three constitute the dynamic activity of the sole of the foot and the support when standing still, and our common flat feet refer to the collapse of the midfoot part downwards and inwards, making our medial arches unable to maintain, and further in the dynamic activities of walking, running, and jumping At times, there is no way to make good use of its functions.

The role of the feet when walking

The process of walking with both feet on the ground will go through two periods, namely heel landing and toes pushing off the ground, and the roles of the feet are completely different in these two periods.

Stepping on the ground

When the heel hits the ground, the body must absorb the reaction force of the ground. At this time, our foot arches will collapse like a sponge to adapt to various grounds and transfer the excess force upwards to the rest of the body for absorption, avoiding the ground. The reaction force is concentrated on the feet. So collapsed arch is a problem? In fact, it is not necessarily. Uncontrollable arch collapse is the real problem with flat feet.

Push off the ground

When the foot is ready to step forward and prepare to leave the ground, we need to push the ground to give forward momentum. At this time, the arch of the foot that had collapsed during the buffer period has to be propped up again, so that the foot is relatively hard and stable. , So that the power can move forward smoothly without dispersing. Usually, flat feet lack this ability, causing the push and kicking force to be unable to concentrate, which will make your move more laboriously and inefficiently, and it is more likely that other parts of the body can compensate and cause other physical problems. At this time, physical therapy usually teaches the client to perform foot-retraction exercises to train the small muscles of the soles of the long-term strikes to initially improve the situation.

The myth of flat feet: flat feet for one day, flat feet for life?

The most common myth is that everyone feels: ah, I have flat feet since I can remember. Isn’t there no way to change it?

In fact, there are two main types of flat feet, structural flat feet, and functional flat feet. Structural flat feet are generally rare. The difference from functional flat feet is that when the feet are not on the ground (meaning they are not bearing weight), they are still flat. However, this condition is usually born with a natural structure, which is more difficult to improve by hand therapy or exercise therapy. Relatively functional flat feet are more common and can be improved by physical therapy, so don’t give up too early. Your body!

The truth about flat feet

Flat feet = pain?

Presumably, everyone has seen the feet of relatives and friends have obvious arch collapse, but he tells you: Oh, I won’t be uncomfortable! Life is the same, but some will tell you that he is affected by flat feet in his daily life, causing some pain or being unable to walk or stand for too long. To put it simply, our body is very adaptable. Even if there is no pain at the moment, it does not mean that there is no continuous loss of tissue, or when you use your body’s intensity to increase (such as higher intensity exercise), problems will gradually start to appear.

Flat feet must be corrected by wearing corrective shoes and insoles?

If you have structural flat feet, you may need suitable shoes or insoles for proper support; or if you have functional flat feet but have long-term plantar pain that makes it difficult for you to walk, you can use the insole support at the beginning To avoid excessive stimulation of the painful area, but as the treatment condition gets better, it is necessary to reduce the dependence on the insole, so that the foot can perform its original function is the long-term way.

Flat feet are not suitable for exercise?

There is no body that is not suitable for exercise, there are only exercises that are not suitable for the body. No matter how serious the situation is, as long as the exercise and training are carried out step by step and step by step, do not suddenly increase the intensity a lot, the improvement will be long-term and visible. If you just rely on passive pain relief and insoles, you will only get temporary relief, but there is no way to cure it and even cause more serious problems in the future. Like walking is good exercise, but first of all, you have to let your body walk normally!

If you have flat feet and ignore them for a long time, it is recommended to seek professional assistance from a physical therapy center to regain your body’s autonomy. Don’t wait until it has caused inconvenience in daily activities before you want to save it. Have good feet. Just like a high-rise building has a solid foundation, the whole body structure will be healthy!