Flat Foot Treatment in Dubai
Our feet are an essential part of our daily routines, hence it’s critical to take care of them. Actually, healthy feet can have an impact on overall health. As a result, it is critical not to disregard foot pain.
Did you know?
According to estimates, every 50-year-old adult has walked approximately 75,000 miles.
As there could be various reasons for foot problems, you should check your feet on a regular basis. If you live in Dubai and have a foot or ankle problem, you can consider a consultation with our foot expert, Dr Ehab Kheir, for flat feet treatment in Dubai.
What is a Flat Foot?
A Flat Foot is a condition in which the arch of one or both feet flattens when a person stands or applies pressure to them. When people with flat feet stand up, their entire soles press into the ground because their feet point outward. However, the arch can appear when the leg is lifted in some cases.
Some Key Points Regarding Flat Foot
- Adults with flat feet typically have a deeper issue that affects their feet.
- Symptoms include foot, leg, and occasionally back discomfort, as well as swelling or stiffness.
- Children can have flat feet, but they usually outgrow them.
- Flat feet can affect body alignment, whether a person is standing, walking, or sprinting. As a result, having flat feet can reduce an individual’s quality of life by increasing the likelihood of experiencing hip, knee, and ankle pain.
Types of Flat Foot
Flexible Flat Foot in Children
Flexible flatfoot is quite a common childhood condition wherein a child’s feet have little or no arch. Although almost all toddlers have flat feet, most children develop arches as they grow.
Some children with flexible flatfoot have extremely tight Achilles tendons (the tendons that connect the calves’ muscles to the back of the heels). Some children’s feet are also pronated: when they stand, their heel bone collapses outward, and their ankle collapses inward. This is common, but not every child with flatfoot experiences it.
Children with flat feet should wear supportive and well-fitting shoes. Other treatments could include arch support shoe inserts, physical therapy, special exercises, casting, or, in rare cases, surgery.
Adult Acquired Flat Foot
Adult acquired flatfoot deformity often arises due to dysfunction in the tibialis posterior tendon, which plays a crucial role in maintaining foot alignment.
Weakening or rupturing of this tendon can lead to the foot rolling inward, resulting in flatfoot.
In early stages of adult acquired flat foot the foot and ankle are still flexible and can be corrected using custom made insoles. Some cases require surgery in the form of corrective osteotomy and tendon reconstruction or transfer to correct the deformity when conservative management is not helpful.
Rigid Flat Foot
Rigid flatfoot, also known as rigid pes planus or rigid pes plano-valgus, is a condition where the arch of the foot is flattened when bearing weight, and the foot remains flat even when the person is not standing. It can affect both children and adults, and the causes, symptoms, and treatments may vary between these age groups.
Causes of Flat Foot
When you visit our foot specialist in Dubai, he will first analyse and diagnose the real cause of your flat foot condition before going ahead with a specific line of treatment.
Following could be some of the possible reasons for Flat Feet:
- Flat feet can be passed down through the genes from parents to children for genetic reasons.
- Weak arches occur when the arch is visible and noticeable when a person sits but flattens when they stand.
- Excess weight stresses the arches of the feet.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is another inflammatory arthritis.
- Damage, dysfunction, or rupture of the posterior tibial tendon.
- Neuromuscular diseases such as spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, and cerebral palsy.
Symptoms of Flat Foot
The most common symptom of flat feet is foot pain. Typically, the pain is caused by strains on the muscles and ligaments that connect them. Uneven weight distribution on the joints can cause hip and knee pain. These stressors are most likely present if the ankles bend inward.
When one has flat feet, the following areas of the body are most frequently affected by pain and sometimes by swelling or stiffness:
- Calf
- Knee
- Hip
- Lower Back
- Foot arch at the ankle
Diagnosis of Flat Foot
Our flat foot specialist in Dubai will perform the following tests to make a concrete diagnosis of flat feet:
- He will begin by looking at the patient’s feet from the front and back. He will then instruct the patient to stand.
- The doctor will then assess the foot and ankle to pinpoint the source of the pain.
- The wear pattern of the shoe may also reveal information about the patient’s foot condition.
- A doctor will also consider the patient’s medical history. In some cases, the patient may be required to undergo imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, or MRI scans.
Flat Foot Treatment in Dubai
Our foot specialist Dr Ehab, is a highly skilled foot doctor and surgeon with over 20 years of experience in the field. With extensive knowledge in general trauma and lower limb surgery, he is one of the most sought-after foot specialists in Dubai.
His treatment always aims at improving the patient’s quality of life and minimising the hindrances caused by flat foot symptoms.
His line of treatment mainly entails the following:
- Stretching exercise: Some people with flat feet may have a shortened Achilles tendon. Stretching exercises for the tendons may be beneficial.
- Physical therapy: Physiotherapy can aid in improving gait and suggest exercises to strengthen the muscles and tendons in the foot.
Arch supports: It is sometimes recommended to use arch supports that have been specially designed and moulded to fit a person’s feet. Although arch supports will not cure flat feet, they may help to alleviate the symptoms.
To have a better understanding of flat foot and its cure, schedule an appointment with Dr Ehab Kheir.
