Does anyone else have flat feet?
VanCityFit
Posts: 105 Member
I've been having some pretty severe foot pain, to the point where it hurt to press the accelerator in my car. The pain is on the top of my foot basically behind all of my toes covering a fairly large area. I went to try on some new shoes and the salesperson said all of my problems are because I have no arch at all in my foot.
I tried a couple pairs on but I wanted to get some advice elsewhere first. Do any of you have these problems, if so what shoes do you recommend? I am considering Adidas SuperNovas, Saucony Hurricanes and New Balance W1010's. all of these are classified as motion control.
I tried a couple pairs on but I wanted to get some advice elsewhere first. Do any of you have these problems, if so what shoes do you recommend? I am considering Adidas SuperNovas, Saucony Hurricanes and New Balance W1010's. all of these are classified as motion control.
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bump for later
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My poor daughter does and it gives her bad foot pain often. The dr said just to stay away from flat shoes and she loves her chucks. I remember the dr suggesting insoles too and a wooden object that just sounded too painful.0
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I have this flat foot problem as well - yet to find a solution. But I notice it helps not to have laces tight around the highest points of the top of the foot.
Also, being able to spread your toes in your shoe is important. I find when my last little two toes get squished in with the other guys that it also creates this problem.0 -
make an appointment with a PROPER foot specialist, orthotics may be an option, esp during workouts!0
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make an appointment with a PROPER foot specialist, orthotics may be an option, esp during workouts!
New balance are a good make, but you may have a pronation in your foot, and a custom fitted orthotic will fix this0 -
Get orthotics!!!
Even just ones from a pharmacy are better then nothing! Ive had plantar fascia in one, and constant pain in the other when I started working out.......got orthotics, no more issues. Just change them over from one pair of shoes to another.
If you get your daughter to a podiatrist they will ensure she gets the right orthotics, her feet will get better arches and she will grow up without pain all the time. My daughter has the same issue. My son is going to need orthotics too, you can tell by the way shoes are worn at a severe angle inwards.0 -
make an appointment with a PROPER foot specialist, orthotics may be an option, esp during workouts!
This!0 -
I damaged the arch in both my feet by running; a combination of over-training and worn foot-wear.
I saw a foot specialist and was given tailor made orthotics, which can slip into any shoe of the same size. I have hard, rigid ones for general wear and softer ones for running and general exercise.
Essentially, they create an arch and prevent over-pronation of the foot.
You can buy pre-made in-soles from various places but you can't beat having them tailor made for you. Both my feet have differing arches, so off-the-shelf merchandise may fix one of my feet, but not both.0 -
I was also born with flat feet, and from a young age I had to wear different grades of insoles to slowly build an artificial arch (much like how braces for your teeth work). This was when I was young though, and still growing, so I have ended up with arches that look pretty normal. I do still get foot pain wearing flat shoes though. I have been banned from those as well as high heels, so I will always need to wear quite sturdy shoes.
Like others have said, I would really recommend seeing a foot specialist, you will more than likely be fitted for some insoles. They are really not that painful, just a discrete plastic that slips into your shoes. they will give you support and perhaps even help with building your arches. If the problem is left alone you could potentially do damage to the tendons in your feet, which would require surgery.
Good luck with this!0 -
I have very flat feet (my wet foot prints are like triangles), and for years I was told to wear really expensive custom made orthotic inserts all the time, blah blah blah. Kept having shin splints and knee injuries all the time anyway.
Few years ago, when I moved from a city where I never walked to one where I walk all the time, I got sick of the tedious switching of inserts and stopped wearing them. Because my legs got a lot stronger from walking everywhere all the time, I have actually found that my joint stability has improved immensely, to the point where I never have ankle/knee/shin pains anymore despite only wearing flat/neutral shoes nowadays.
Since I have started having to climb a crapload of stairs (living in a 7th floor walkup) and have done serious strength training, my legs and core are much stronger now and my constant worries about flat foot-related leg/lower back pains have essentially dissipated. I realized after running 5 kms a few times with no specific training beforehand and not having any pain afterwards that, while flat feet may have made me prone to have poor posture and inability to cope with shock absorption, weak overall leg/core musculature made a much bigger difference to my constant pain and injuries. I had previously attempted C25K several times, and never made it past 3km because my basic muscle development was just insufficient off the couch. Excruciating shin splints and arch cramps despite rest and gradual distance increase, and the other attempt I got bursitis in my knee from my joint slipping around too much and becoming inflamed inside.
I wouldn't say that my flat feet are "cured" (I still can't point my toes for *kitten*), but as cheesy as it sounds, I feel like a new person now that I have stronger muscles and thus natural support and protection built in everywhere.
There are definitely two schools of thought, one to wear hardcore motion control arch support at all times, the other to do specific training to neutralize the danger. I tried the former already, but it never fixed the source of the problem of being prone to stabbing pain and injury, and the latter worked out great for me.
Some articles that introduce the possibility of not being orthotic-dependent for life:
http://thesquigglyline.com/2011/06/25/flat-feet-bare-foot-no-arch-support/
http://naturalrunningcenter.com/2012/05/27/run-marathon-flat-feet-orthotics-minimalist-shoes-without-injury/
P.S. I am wearing me Chucks as I type this.
P.P.S. There is one specific stretch move that does help me do some preventative loosening up when the top of my foot feels a bit tight. I sit down on my heels with the tops of my feet flat on the floor (think child's pose from yoga, but sitting upright). A minute or so and it makes my feet nice and flexible again. The first few times you try this, if you never do such a thing, will kill and feel unbearable. So go for a few seconds at first or as long as you can, and the time you can do this will improve as your flexibility improves.
P.P.P.S. I have now done 9 weeks of P90X barefoot at home on an average yoga mat on hardwood floors, including the jumping around of plyo, with no shin splints or foot pain at all. I could never have imagined doing that when my legs were weaker. I am also in no way pushing barefoot training, btw, I only do it because my neighbours knocked on their ceiling the first time I tried a workout in my sneakers.0 -
If you have problems with your feet, please see your doctor so that they can organise special insoles to help with the arch or ask to be referred to an orthopaedic. It's their job to deal with dropped arches
It's really painful and is affecting your acitvities of daily living and is therefore an important problem, but with the right medical help, you will know exactly what is it and how the problem ca be remidied0 -
Runner's World - they'll have you step on the special "scale" and show you exactly where/if you over-pronate and where you carry your most weight when working out. And then tell you the best shoes and inserts. Pricey, but worth it.0
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I found out at 14 I barely had an arch and that I was eventually going to have flat feet. I'm 19 now and since then I have just worn inserts in most of my shoes (unless I'm stubborn and wear sandals) and voila little pain. I like using the ones made for high heels because it only covers half of the bottom of my shoe and does the same job. I got mine from the pharmacy.0
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Dont mess around with this. Get a medical exam. Dont try to run or walk it off as it will probably get worse.
"Pain in this location is not normal, and usually indicates a more serious problem. Catching conditions and injuries such as stress fractures in their early stages is vital to successful treatment. Diagnosing problems within the complex structure of the foot is difficult enough, but if a condition or injury is left untreated, it can develop into a more serious problem and could require more extensive treatment."
http://www.footvitals.com/problems/top-foot-pain.html0 -
Grandevampire you are on the right track. Strong feet equals healthy legs and joints.
Ive read many articles and firmly believe that a large percentage of foot problems are shoe related. We dont need cushioned, arch supported, motion controlled shoes. Modern shoes/orthotics are crutches and only serve to make us more dependent on them. As a result the modern foot is weak and flaccid and unable to flex, roll and absorb shock. (The arch is like the leaf spring in a car and it is designed to flex.)
The latest article Ive read regarded a study in which new runners were fitted in neutral shoes regardless of pronation/supination and they did just as well as new runners who were fitted in shoes addressing pronation/supination.
I have hated shoes all my life & go barefoot as much as possible (we have moderate winters) and I have run for years in Asics Kayanos. Over these years Ive fought shin splints.
I had to stop running for 2 years due to an overactive thyroid and have just recently started again. I really dreaded the challenge of having to once again battle the painful shin splints.
After reading "Born To Run" I decided to try minimalist and bought NB Minimus. I went out easy and quickly resume running as if it was my second nature, and not once did I have any problems with shin splints or "new runner" afflictions. My feet did ached at the beginning (2-3 weeks) but that was it. I currently weigh 222 lbs and I ran over 75 miles last month.
Today I look at my feet in amazement at their transformation. I have always had strong feet with well developed arches, but today my feet are slimmer with even more defined arches.
I expect my new Merrell Vapor Gloves to arrive today as I have literally worn holes in the bottom of the Minimus shoes. Merrell shoes weigh 5.3 ozs and can be wadded up and put a man's pocket....akin to ballet slippers LOL
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpageMRS-MVAPGL3.html
I often run at night and cant see the road debris well enough to run barefoot, but I am really giving it some serious thought.0 -
make an appointment with a PROPER foot specialist, orthotics may be an option, esp during workouts!
Our son had a lot of pain as well that even caused knee pain. Orthotics did not help him one bit. He ended up having both feet operated on. His were both extremely bad and needed to be completely reconstructed. His were flat since birth. Now he makes sure to wear proper shoes for whatever activity he does and is completely pain free. No more fatigue and no more foot, ankle or back pain.0 -
@Doodlewhopper
Yes, I think the notion that encasing our feet to give external support hinders the way the body needs to move is not without reason. It is similar to how gym machines are said to overly externally stabilize and restrict natural movement during exercises. While they may avoid you from hurting yourself doing that specific movement with that specific equipment, once you are separated from that external support, your body is just as weak and vulnerable to injuries.
The reason I said that I hesitate to jump on barefoot as the instant solution to everything is the fact that, while you always had strong feet and good arches, flat footed people will still have to contend with some initial adjustment and perhaps even some "suffering" when strength training to have the same functional flexibility as others have naturally.
Having said that, after sufficient training to strengthen all the muscles surrounding joints and thus improving posture, especially under dynamic stress/impact, it is very likely that running in neutral or minimal shoes could hold the same benefits for a flat footed person in other cases. The thing to remember is that due to some initial physical shortcomings, especially if we are getting active after a fairly sedentary lifestyle, we need probably to train a fair bit *in preparation* for even beginning a high-impact sport like running. Loads of squats, lunges, as well as pulling your extended leg out to the side and inwards with a resistance band, etc. are the types of exercises that would probably be good for improving stability. Additionally, improving core strength will help correct pelvic angle issues that could lead to off-kilter dynamics during foot strikes.0 -
Thank you all for you for the information you have posted. Unfortunately, at this time I am unable to seek out medical attention because I have just moved to British Columbia, Canada and I do not yet have health care(immigrations is on strike). I did try the inserts that were suggested to me yesterday in the store and there was no way I would pay for something that felt like I was stepping on a rock in my shoe. I'm wondering at this point if I should be looking for motion control shoes or minimalist shoes. I have to work out now with my shoes off because I am otherwise in too much pain. It seems to make sense to get something that feels like I have nothing on but obviously that isn't going to fix anything.
Which kind of over the counter orthotics do you suggest? I am lifting heavy now and I have in the past, I do have quite a bit of muscle mass in my legs, but recently my knees have been hurting as well.....I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS ALL RELATED!!! My knees pop and krackle with every movement and I tend to roll my ankles a lot.
It is looking like it will be well over a year before I can see a doctor here so I have to get help in other ways at this point.0 -
Grandevampire
Nice post. I agree.0 -
Thank you all for you for the information you have posted. Unfortunately, at this time I am unable to seek out medical attention because I have just moved to British Columbia, Canada and I do not yet have health care(immigrations is on strike). I did try the inserts that were suggested to me yesterday in the store and there was no way I would pay for something that felt like I was stepping on a rock in my shoe. I'm wondering at this point if I should be looking for motion control shoes or minimalist shoes. I have to work out now with my shoes off because I am otherwise in too much pain. It seems to make sense to get something that feels like I have nothing on but obviously that isn't going to fix anything.
Which kind of over the counter orthotics do you suggest? I am lifting heavy now and I have in the past, I do have quite a bit of muscle mass in my legs, but recently my knees have been hurting as well.....I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS ALL RELATED!!! My knees pop and krackle with every movement and I tend to roll my ankles a lot.
It is looking like it will be well over a year before I can see a doctor here so I have to get help in other ways at this point.
Stop working out until the pain stops or you know what the problem is. You have a probable serious or soon to be serious injury. Stay off the foot. Inserts or shoes aint gonna fix what ails ya.0 -
Stop working out until the pain stops or you know what the problem is. You have a probable serious or soon to be serious injury. Stay off the foot. Inserts or shoes aint gonna fix what ails ya.
Yep, OP, right now, you are in a state of injury, which needs to be dealt with before you even start looking at future exercise options. Anything you do now puts you at risk of increasing recovery time or doing permanent damage, depending on what the root of the problem is. As we are unable to diagnose your actual issue with certainty, it's not clear what treatment would be suitable. I would almost think that at least a round of physio may be necessary.
Once that's taken care of, you can start looking into maintenance/pre-requisite training to ensure you avoid a similar or related injury in future.
As for your knees, yes, they are strongly related to your arch height, ankle strength, etc. When you have collapsed arches, your feet pronate inwards (hence the traditional notion of shoving a motion control/orthotic object to prop up the arch), your ankles turn in, and your knees have uneven stresses applied. If you strengthen each of these points (strengthened arch muscles for better ability to rebound, stronger ankles to avoid wobbling, stronger muscles around the knees for side-to-side stability, core strength to stabilize forward/backward pelvic tilt), your tendons and soft tissues will no longer be subjected to stress/tension in dimensions in which they were never intended to move under "correct" operation.
When you say you lift heavy, what exactly are you doing? I have read, for example, that women tend to have disproportionately strong quads compared to hamstrings. During squats, if you don't squat low enough until the hamstrings are engaged, you can wind up further increasing the front/back imbalance. It could be one case of how one could be prone to joint injury despite having quite muscular legs.
But yes, try to at least keep stress on your feet to a minimum to see if the pain subsides a bit. Ideal would to find a way to seek medical attention just in case you need surgery or something.0 -
I have severe flat foot. It is to the point my foot is skewed and there is a lot of pain involved. I like ASICS and Brooks. I am a pronator so wear shoes to correct that and I need to get inserts made. You should check with a podiatrist and find out what type of shoes to wear. It makes a difference if you are a pronator of supinator as to which shoes you should use. Or check with a very knowledgeable store.0
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I'm getting there because I wear Converse. I would see a doctor. They probably can lead you to the right shoe or inserts.0
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Flat feet. The forty intrinsic foot muscles that have been cushioned,supported and braced (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orthotic ) which are responsible for your arch are now in an atrophied dysfunctional state. Permanent bracing of dysfunction ,injured, deformed muscles or joints was abandoned in the early 1900" in all other areas of medicine.You corrected stated that everything is connected. Just like any other structure you would never correct a crack in the fourth floor/knees ,sixth floor/lower back or 11th floor/shoulders without fixing the foundation first. When the foot flattens the knees twist in, one hip drops and one shoulder drops in the opposite direction. Walking barefoot in the sand or grass will rehabilitate your foot muscles. This is why only 3% of unshod populations seek medical help for foot,knee and back problems. When you are wearing shoes you need to wear the Barefoot Science non- orthotic insoles. Once you have progressed up to level three of the BFS system you should switch to a flat ,flexible shoe. There are over 100 muscles, tendons and bones in the feet and they will not operate efficiently if they are restricted, cushioned, braced or supported. Period. You will have injuries for your entire life if you do not fix the foundation and align the skeletal system.
The amazing results that have come to the surface through SEMG testing is that soon as you initiate the foot's proprioceptors the entire gait related musculature records a 30+% increase in activation of the peronous longus, Anterior tibiallis(lower leg) , knee, hamstring, glute and paraspinal muscle groups and a 40% increase in balance and stability. This increase in muscle efficiency instantly completes the upright posture circuit which levels the pelvis without effort. It amazes me when I hear that people have been convinced to have surgery on their feet before do anything to rehabilitate them. Why would anyone think that they should be born with strong muscular feet when coming out without a six pack, rippling biceps or chest is acceptable.
As a soon as you stop treating the feet like a bag of bones at the end of your body and include them in your daily exercise and stretching routine all of your problems will disappear.
http://www.barefoot-science.com/proof Guaranteed!
http://www.toesalad.com/reviews/a-review-of-the-barefoot-science-foot-strengthening-system/
Hope this helps.0 -
Get orthotics!!!
Even just ones from a pharmacy are better then nothing! Ive had plantar fascia in one, and constant pain in the other when I started working out.......got orthotics, no more issues. Just change them over from one pair of shoes to another.
Orthotics was my solution to flat feet! I didn't get custom ones but I did get mine from a foot doctor.0 -
I have a pair of arch supports that were made to fit my feet when I was in my early teens and I still wear them to this day. I can wear them in just about every pair of shoes I own, except my sandals. A couple of years ago I tried the Dr. Scholls inserts but they didn't give me as my support so I went back to my good old ones that were made for my feet. I think I will cry the day that I have to finally retire them.0
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OP, when and if your pain goes away, I highly recommend checking out this YouTube channel I just found, The Gait Guys (by the way, thanks for inspiring me to look up even more exercises to do to strengthen my own arch).
This particular video of theirs addresses ankle rolling, which you mentioned, and it has an exercise to strengthen the muscles that prevent it from happening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8T9UzOaYxmo
Some really tough (but good) stuff to practice.0 -
I have flat feet also and then my kids may them even flatter. My pain is in my heel though, not my toes. I have a Wii Fit and my center of balance is where I put too much pressure on my heels. I bet if you tried one out you would be my opposite. Believe it or not my chiropractor makes my feet feel so much better. It sounds weird to say my Dr. adjusts my feet but the pain was so awful I hobbled, not walked.
I also make sure that my shoes have arches and wedges are my best friend. When I work out I wear Reeboks recommended by the employees at the shoe store for arch support and Dr Scholl's gel inserts. They feel so nice on my feet. For athletic shoes, it was worth it to pay the extra money and go to an athletic store as they know their product line better than a department store.0 -
Until you can see a dr. see if you can find a shoe store that can fit you properly. I went to a store that filmed me running on a treadmill then they determined what type of shoe would work for me. I have flat feet and was having severe knee and hip pain from running. I was ready to give up running and figured this was my last option before quitting. They found that I needed neutral shoes and within a couple days my pain was much better and is now livable. Due to a lot of joint problems I will never be pain free.0
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