Flat Feet Problems

awadm
awadm Posts: 252
edited October 5 in Fitness and Exercise
So I have flat feet and they hurt a whole lot when I work out so I bought orthotics and they have helped a bit so far. I recently started working out regularly and I'm starting to notice is that my knees hurt during and after my workouts (Zumba, jogging, walking, squats, etc). So I was wondering if anyone that has flat feet also has encountered this problem too? I'm not really sure if my knee pain is coming from my flat feet or if it's because my body isn't really used to working out yet. Anyone care to help me out here? :)
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Replies

  • ummlovelovesyou
    ummlovelovesyou Posts: 1,024 Member
    I don't have an answer to your problem, but I thought it was ironic that I just posted a topic about my flat foot problem.

    :)
  • RunLiftEat
    RunLiftEat Posts: 213 Member
    I think your knee pain is being caused by muscles not being strong enough yet and the strain on them is causing the pain. It could also be caused by improper running shoes while jogging.
  • awadm
    awadm Posts: 252
    Yeah! I just saw it after I posted! haha I'm sure you're familiar with that burning feeling in your feet when you run though. Do you also get any knee pain ever?
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    even with the orthotics...maybe it's the actual workout shoes you're wearing?

    It could be that your body is not yet used to all the physical activity yet...all the exercises (except for walking, really) you listed are high impact and can be hard on the knees. As far as jogging...try to run on softer surfaces--trails or road rather than concrete, if possible...

    Hope you get some other good ideas from other MFPals :)
  • embersfallen
    embersfallen Posts: 534 Member
    this is more then likely not the advice a podiatrist would give...lololol.. but... i have flat feet..and i work out 95% of the time BAREFOOT. Because shoes KILL my feet when I workout... I do my home workouts on carpet...and zumba at the gym... in those danskin yoga socks... i've tried many different sneakers..and can only go about 20 or 30 mins before my feet are screaming in shoes!
  • finabella
    finabella Posts: 176
    Ok I have feet like a duck, there that flat I can make a stunning suction noise when a walk on tiles!! LOL

    Your problem will be your orthotics, unfortunatly when you have flat feet buying the orthotics off the shelf at shoe/sports stores just don't cut it.
    If you want to get rid of the pain you will need to see a podiatrist who will custom make orthotics to your foot.
    They are not cheap but are so worth not having pain and last for YEARS. I have had mine now for 15 years. They will want you to wear them all the time I don't as they are UGLY and only fit into closed in shoes but are fantastic for work out shoes.

    All the best with your feet.
  • JennyZD
    JennyZD Posts: 176 Member
    I have extremely flat feet and whenever i do some yoga poses, such as balance posed, I get a burning sensation all over my legs especially on the front part :(. Doesn't happen when I run or do cardio classes tho. My yoga instructor has the same problem and he recommended I pay attention to where I place my weight when exercising. For example, I used to put all my weight into my toes and it would "burn" the middle part of my feet but now that I'm
    Being more aware of it, it's been a lot better
  • JuniperT
    JuniperT Posts: 394 Member
    this is more then likely not the advice a podiatrist would give...lololol.. but... i have flat feet..and i work out 95% of the time BAREFOOT. Because shoes KILL my feet when I workout... I do my home workouts on carpet...and zumba at the gym... in those danskin yoga socks... i've tried many different sneakers..and can only go about 20 or 30 mins before my feet are screaming in shoes!


    Same here...it's barefoot all the time. I've never been able to find a shoe that helped or didn't hurt after a very short amount of time.
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
    I invested in a pair of Brooks that are specially made for people with flat feet. I had them custom fit for my feet. They even molded the insoles for my feet, but added an increased arch. I used to have shin splint and knee pain. I don't any more. If you can find a sports place that does the custom fitting it may really help to just get a new pair of shoes. They will video you walking on a treadmill and analyze your stride.
  • riccoismydog
    riccoismydog Posts: 319 Member
    My feet are really flat too. I've had a lifetime of problems with knee pain as a result. Custom made orthotics. The only way to go. Speaking of which....I should get some too.
  • jskaggs1971
    jskaggs1971 Posts: 371 Member
    So I have flat feet and they hurt a whole lot when I work out so I bought orthotics and they have helped a bit so far. I recently started working out regularly and I'm starting to notice is that my knees hurt during and after my workouts (Zumba, jogging, walking, squats, etc). So I was wondering if anyone that has flat feet also has encountered this problem too? I'm not really sure if my knee pain is coming from my flat feet or if it's because my body isn't really used to working out yet. Anyone care to help me out here? :)

    *singing* The foot bones are connected to the ankle bone. The ankle bone's connected to the shin bone. The shin bone's connected to the kneeee boooone *ends singing*

    The thing is, it's true. All those bits are hooked to each other, and the knee is notoriously finicky about flat feet. My feet have been flat since I was a kid. I used to get a case of patellar tendonititis (that's in the knee) just about every year. Then, I went to a podiatrist and had custom orthotics made. No more PT.

    If your knees are bothering you and you have flat feet, get thee to the doc, especially if you have some money to spare from your medical savings plan. There's no substitute for custom orthotics. The off-the-shelf ones are OK, but won't completely correct your pronation/alignment problems.
  • ummlovelovesyou
    ummlovelovesyou Posts: 1,024 Member
    Yeah! I just saw it after I posted! haha I'm sure you're familiar with that burning feeling in your feet when you run though. Do you also get any knee pain ever?

    Unfortunately for you regarding this topic, I never get knee pain. Sorry love! :(
  • tam_a_ram_a
    tam_a_ram_a Posts: 52 Member
    I workout in bare feet except for Zumba....Zumba kills my feet if I workout without cross trainers.
  • usera1365
    usera1365 Posts: 146 Member
    bump for later
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    this is more then likely not the advice a podiatrist would give...lololol.. but... i have flat feet..and i work out 95% of the time BAREFOOT.

    This. I have collapsed arches because of the pounding they took doing jumping events (long, high, and triple) in high school. When I work out at home (Jillian Michaels or P90X), I do so barefoot. When I run (3-4x/week 4-6 miles), I do so with barefoot running shoes (Vibrams or Skeletoes)
  • Hungry_Tuna
    Hungry_Tuna Posts: 361 Member
    I have this problem.. my knees are very creaky these days and I can't run for extended periods of time without my feet hurting. Gaaaah this sucks!!
  • higgins1988
    higgins1988 Posts: 38
    i also have crazy flat feet and a bunion because of the fallen arches (ew i know). i bought some nike i.d free run shoes and they feel like i am running barefoot which has really helped. but i still find that if i run for a long time i get really bad shin splints, and that certain yoga poses are damn near impossible as it takes so much more effort to stay balanced on a flat foot!
    gah so annoying!
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I'm hoping you saw a podiatrist for your orthotics. If you didn't, go see one and have custom orthotics made after your feet are scanned, measured, etc. Your 2 feet aren't the same so 'store bought' orthotics won't cut it.
    I had horrible foot pain, saw a Dr. and found out I have plantar fasciitis and one bone spur. If the fasciitis is not treated properly, you will grow bone spurs and that is much harder to deal with after the fact.
    I also went to a good running store and was fitted for some comfy Brooks shoes. I love them! Even with my orthotics they feel like slippers.
    Good luck and I hope you get some relief!
  • oneoddsock
    oneoddsock Posts: 321 Member
    I have fat fleet. Flat fleet. Flat feet. Dammit!

    No, seriously, I do, and my doctor said that it's common to experience knee and hip pain with this condition - I don't think it's specific to your increased exercise.
  • salxtai
    salxtai Posts: 341 Member
    I have pan feet, and I do occasionally get knee pain but I've also have had knee injuries (ligament/meniscus ruptures) in the past, so I don't know how much one is linked with the other.

    I'd check out a physiotherapist, get a good look over and see if any core stability need strengthening or if there's other biomechanical factors can be modified (like stiffness in the subtalar glides etc.. common in over-pronation).
    - also, consider the state of your runners and if they are designed to support over-pronating feet, etc.

    As for the orthotics - there's no hard and fast rule to needing a podiatrist-made ones (I'm a physio, I've prescribed over the counter ones when needed).
    If you find they're not helping, then maybe a podiatrist is helpful however a lot of the time its just paying more than what you need, unless you have a specific foot deformity (ie. hallux valgus etc) that would need specialist treatment.
  • cevans_rr
    cevans_rr Posts: 44 Member
    I know your pain. I went to a podiatrist and had orthotics made about 20 years ago. I STILL wear them! Best investment ever. However, if you have these don't get workout shoes for flat footed people or that will make your arches hurt. If I don't wear them my back and legs hurt. As for me, I personally can't go barefoot for very long. I tried kickboxing barefoot for awhile but I needed more support. Good luck!
  • mlewon
    mlewon Posts: 343 Member
    Yes. Knee pain and flat feet are very much connected.

    I have flat feet and when I used to play hockey, it would cause pain in my Achilles tendons and my knees, and I eventually had to have surgery to repair my ACL and take out torn cartilage.

    I suggest taking 2 ibuprofin before a workout and icing 20min on, 20min off, 20min on after your workout. It will reduce any swelling that may have occurred, which may cause stiffness and pain. Other than that, make sure you're doing a ton of leg stretches, and try to integrate leg lifts into your routine because it helps to build supportive muscle around the knee with no impact.

    Hope this helped :)
  • TriPixie
    TriPixie Posts: 28
    this is more then likely not the advice a podiatrist would give...lololol.. but... i have flat feet..and i work out 95% of the time BAREFOOT. Because shoes KILL my feet when I workout... I do my home workouts on carpet...and zumba at the gym... in those danskin yoga socks... i've tried many different sneakers..and can only go about 20 or 30 mins before my feet are screaming in shoes!

    THIS!

    Strengthen the muscles in the feet by going barefoot and PLEASE don't get roped in to expensive orthodics or running shoes.
  • jen_bd6
    jen_bd6 Posts: 501 Member
    I also have flat feet with knee pain (all the time) after workouts. Arch supports do not help and just cause blisters. I have found that going to a store that specializes in running shoes and getting measured for shoes that fit your feet help... doesnt solve the problem, but helps.
  • supjennifer
    supjennifer Posts: 2 Member
    I have flat feet, but also...get this...sprained arches. I have no actual arches, but where I should have an arch, that is sprained...permanently. (It happened in September 2009). I was a dancer for over 20 years and have caused way too many "permanent" injuries to my body. Too many to list, that's for sure.
    I've tried orthotics -- store bought and custom made. Neither have helped the pain while I work out. I even do low impact options for TurboFire and other exercises. My knees hurt, my hips, my ankles, shins, everything.
    Recently I've gotten a pair of Adidas Supernova 3W (I'm pretty sure that's what they're called) and they've helped the most so far. However, my foot rubs funny in them and I've gotten 6 monstrous blisters in the past week while wearing them during workouts.

    I can't run or jog or anything. I typically have a high tolerance for pain (from dancing for 20 years and having to dance with sprained ankles, broken toes, fractured toe through my foot, etc.), but no pain I've experienced is worse than my flat feet mixed in with my sprained arches during exercising. They hurt throughout the day and when I start walking after sitting or laying for a long period of time, so during workouts they are absolutely terrible.
    Best of luck. Let me know if you have success because so far, I haven't had much.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
    My feet are really flat too. I've had a lifetime of problems with knee pain as a result. Custom made orthotics. The only way to go. Speaking of which....I should get some too.

    This. After years of prescription drugs and chronic knee pain I finally went to a podiatrist and physio. A combination of exercises to strengthen my knees (particuarly the quads) and some adapted orthotics (cheaper than custom - the podiatrist has added bits to the bottom of a shop-bought pair) and not only can I get out of bed without being in agony but have taken up running.

    I'd also advise against doing exercise barefoot (which I know some people will disagree with) - this gives me tremendous pain. I not only wear my orthotics when exercising but also in my shoes at all times - even when indoors. The reduction in pain is incredible.
  • m60kaf
    m60kaf Posts: 421 Member
    get motion control running shoes - no question
  • StarvingDiva
    StarvingDiva Posts: 1,107 Member
    I have flat feet as well, and yes some days my knees will hurt me and I can't do a lot of squats. I am currently doing P90x and kickboxing/boxing. When I do P90x Plyo, I can't do some of the moves because my feet will hurt and others I can't do due to my knees. I do what I can. On the days I kickbox and box the only problem is our warm up which is running, my right foot starts hurt pretty soon after running, it's definitely not my lungs, or legs. But my foot tends to supinate so rolls outward and my foot will hurt a lot. Once I did a really long walk with a friend, my foot hurt for about 4 days after the walk and I couldn't do anything else I could barely walk. So now if it starts hurting I modify. I would buy orthotics but they are so damn expensive and my insurance wouldn't cover.
  • Telugammayi87
    Telugammayi87 Posts: 170 Member
    Had the same problem... got severe plantar fasciitis with my "orthopedic" $250 shoes.....

    Started exercising barefoot after I healed, and I've not had problems since...

    They also make barefoot shoes. I highly reccommend.

    That burning pain was preventing me from doing so much!!!
  • leslisa
    leslisa Posts: 1,350 Member
    My 22 yo son has the same issue. He had to buy running shoes that have a lot more padding in them than regular shoes. He also takes glucosome and limits the amount of plyometric exercises in which he engages.
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