About Fallen Arches
Fallen arches is a medical condition where either the arch of the foot caves in, resulting in a completely flat bottom of the foot, or the arch is congenitally flat. Fallen arches, also called flat feet, can occur in one or both feet. It isn't typically painful and doesn't affect foot usage.
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Significance
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Fallen arches can be diagnosed by a doctor, but can just as easily be discovered in the home through the "wet footprint" test: a person wets their feet and then presses the imprint down on a surface that will yield a footprint. If there is a curved empty space in the footprint between the ball of the foot under the big toe and heel of the foot then they do not have fallen arches. However, if the footprint shows consistent contact with the surface across the entire foot then fallen arches are present.
Features
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Arches can be flat in varying degrees, ranging from slightly flat to completely fallen arches. There are also altered modes of fallen arches, such as kinked arches where the flat inner arch bows outward, or extremely flexible flat arches, where the arch curves dramatically when the foot is pointed. Most fallen arches range from 2 to 3 inches lower than they should be.
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Effects
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People can develop fallen arches in adulthood as the result of trauma to the foot, aging, or lack of use due to prolonged bed rest. Pregnant women may also develop fallen arches during their later trimesters due to rapid weight gain; people who are severely overweight for prolonged periods of time are also susceptible to fallen arches. There is a chance fallen arches can reverse itself when developed in adulthood, however due to lower elastin production and the natural aging process the possibility is uncertain.
Considerations
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Young children and babies tend to naturally have fallen arches due to incomplete muscle and bone development as well as higher fat concentrations. Arches are not fully developed until around six years old, and until then a child's feet may appear flat. If a child is going to be flat-footed permanently, changes in their walking will be noticed as they tend to put weight on the outside of their foot.
Potential
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Because it isn't a painful or restrictive condition, fallen arches only need to be treated in extreme cases. Bone deformation in the feet and ankles may need surgery to correct and can alleviate potential leg and back pain associated with such abnormalities.
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