Do Flat Feet in Children Actually Need Treatment?

The arch in your foot helps absorb and distribute the shock your feet feel as they strike the earth, pavement, or flooring when you walk, run, or jump. A foot arch actually comprises three arches that meet in a triangular shape:

Medial longitudinal arch — stretches across the inside of the foot
Lateral longitudinal arch — stretches across the outside of the foot
Transverse arch — stretches from the big toe to the small toe on the metatarsals

These arches act together as springs to keep your feet flexible. If your arch is too high or too low, they don’t efficiently absorb or redistribute shocks. The result can be pain in the feet that radiates up to the leg and difficulties with the gait cycle (i.e., the way you walk).

Babies are born without arches. But by age 2-3, when they start walking, most children have developed arches. However, some children don’t.

At North Park Podiatry, our expert podiatrists offer pediatric foot care, including care for flat feet. We customize treatments and recommendations at our office in San Diego, California.

Do your child’s flat feet need treatment? Read on to find out.

Arches develop gradually

Babies have flat feet because they don’t yet walk, so their feet don’t need to absorb shocks. Later, as they start to toddle, they literally get a spring in their steps, as their arches begin to develop.

However, not every child has arches by the age of two or three. In some instances, your child may not develop arches until age 10. However, by the teen years, most children have arches.

Also, your child may have a variation of flat feet called “flexible” flat feet. You can see an arch in their foot when it’s relaxed, but when they stand on the ground, their arch disappears.

When flat feet are a problem

In general, flat feet don’t cause many problems. We don’t recommend treatment for flat feet in kids unless they’ve developed symptoms, including symptoms in other areas of the feet or legs that might be affected by the lack of shock absorption. Symptoms of flat feet can include:

Foot pain
Ankle pain
Shin splints
Gait disorders
Bunions
Hammertoes
Knee, hip, or lower back pain

Your child might also be prone to repetitive stress injuries, including sprained ankles, arthritis, and other wear-and-tear injuries.

Another time that you should seek pediatric foot care is if your child’s arches disappear. If your child once had arches and now seems to have flat feet, they may have a condition called “fallen arches” that should be evaluated.

How we treat children’s flat feet

If your child’s arches have fallen or if their flat feet cause pain or other symptoms, we examine their feet manually and visually. We may also take X-rays or other imaging studies to evaluate the interior structures of the foot, including bones, tendons, and ligaments.

In most cases, we recommend physical therapy to strengthen and stretch your children’s feet so that they’re more flexible and agile. We may also recommend customized orthotics that they wear in their shoes to support their arches and distribute shocks more evenly.

We may recommend over-the-counter pain medications if your child is uncomfortable while walking or running. However, we don’t advise long-term medication for flat feet.

Some arches may need extra treatment

In rare cases, your child may need more aggressive treatment. These cases are usually caused by congenital disorders or trauma to the structures of the feet that may require more invasive remedies.

Your child may need to wear a cast or brace to help correct their flat or fallen arches. In very rare cases, they may need surgery to correct a structural abnormality.

However, most of the time, your kids’ flat feet are perfectly fine. Just stay alert to any foot pain or problems they may have, and seek pediatric foot care if you have concerns.

Does your child have foot or leg pain that may be related to their flat feet? Book a pediatric foot care evaluation with our team by phone or by using our easy online appointment form.