Custom fit and high-quality craftsmanship: 3D printed orthotics provide an effective solution for many foot issues. Among these, we will discuss flat feet, how to recognize this condition, and how custom orthotics can treat it.
What Are Flat Feet?
Flat feet is a biomechanical problem characterized by a collapse of the foot’s arch, leading to the disappearance of the internal arch and a twisting of the foot outward.
Symptoms
Flat feet can cause pain in the plantar region and ankle joints while walking, and this pain may extend to the knees and lower back. Flat feet negatively affect posture and can cause balance issues on certain surfaces. It may also lead to limping, heel pronation, or an outward-facing walk when moving.
In the long term, flat feet can lead to other issues such as plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, bunions, and more.
Causes
The causes vary by individual and age. In children, flat feet are often congenital. They may result from genetic predisposition, or from muscle and ligament weakness. In adults, several factors can explain flat feet, such as ankle pronation, uneven leg lengths, overweight, inflammatory or degenerative diseases, leg muscle dysfunction, age, or participation in certain sports. Flat feet can also occur following trauma (tears or fractures).
Options for Relieving Flat Feet
Flat feet are mainly relieved by wearing orthotic orthotics or orthopedic shoes. This type of device helps provide support to the foot’s arch and better distribute body weight, offering effective correction and relieving various symptoms on a daily basis.
Performing strengthening exercises and monitoring the patient’s weight can also help treat flat feet.
3D Printed Orthotics for Treating Flat Feet
3D printed orthotics are ideal for treating and relieving flat feet. Unlike traditional orthotics, these models come from cutting-edge technology that reproduces the foot point by point to create a completely custom orthotic, especially through 3D scanning. This type of orthotic benefits from precise manufacturing, combining high-quality materials and advanced technology. Completely adapted to the patient’s morphology, they intervene with precision on flat feet to relieve and correct them effectively.
Differences Between Flat Feet and False Flat Feet
Before prescribing orthotics, it’s essential to ensure the condition is truly flat feet. Indeed, treatment can fail due to misdiagnosis.
Flat feet are often confused with what is called “false flat feet,” a less-known but problematic condition. It also involves a collapse of the foot’s arch, but in this case, the ankle deviates inward while the forefoot turns outward. The deviation of false flat feet is most noticeable when standing, whereas flat feet show a collapsed arch even when seated. False flat feet primarily cause pain in the ankles, knees, hips, and lower back. Balance problems and fatigue when standing are also common.
Although false flat feet may resemble flat feet, they are distinct issues requiring different treatments and customized orthotics.
Correctly Diagnosing Flat Feet to Provide Appropriate Orthotics
The first step is to verify that the patient indeed has flat feet and not another similar condition. If that is the case, prescribing 3D printed orthotics will help relieve and treat this painful and troublesome condition. Are you interested in 3D printed orthotics? Contact your Skeltec dealer for more information.