What are flat feet?
Having flat feet, also known as flatfoot, is a condition where one or both feet have little to no arch. When you stand, the pads of the feet press into the ground. Typically, you can’t see an arch in the foot, though sometimes the arch appears when you lift the foot.
All babies have flat feet at birth. Arches typically form by age 6. About two out of 10 children still have flat feet as adults. Some adults have arches that collapse. This condition, fallen arches, is another term for flatfoot.
Flat feet aren’t a problem for most people. If flat feet cause pain or other problems, treatments can help.
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What are the types of flat feet?
Flat feet can pose problems whether they persist after childhood or develop in adulthood. The types of flatfoot include:
- Flexible: Flexible flat feet are the most common. You can see the arches in the feet when you aren’t standing. The arches disappear when you put weight on the feet. Flexible flatfoot comes on during childhood or the teen years. It affects both feet and gradually gets worse with age. Tendons and ligaments in the arches of the feet can stretch, tear and swell.
- Rigid: A person with rigid flat feet has no arches when standing (putting weight on the feet) or sitting (no weight on the feet). This condition often develops during the teen years and gets worse with age. Your feet may feel painful. It can be difficult to flex the feet up or down or move them side-to-side. Flatfoot may affect one foot or both.
- Adult-acquired (fallen arch): With an adult-acquired flat foot (fallen arch), the foot's arch unexpectedly drops or collapses. The fallen arch causes the foot to turn outward and can be painful. The problem may affect only one foot. The most common cause is inflammation or a tear in the leg tendon (posterior tibial tendon) that supports the arch.
- Vertical talus: Some babies have a birth defect (congenital disability) called vertical talus that prevents arches from forming. The talus bone in the ankle is in the wrong position. The bottom of the foot resembles the bottom of a rocking chair. Vertical talus is also called rocker-bottom foot.
