Walking the dog. Taking relaxing morning walks. Walking around an amusement park with your family. All these activities can become much more difficult if you’re one of the many Americans living with flat feet.
This condition is also referred to as collapsed arches, and it’s one of the most common foot conditions. In fact, one medical study reveals that almost 27% of the adults surveyed had flat feet. Collapsed arches can lead to several bothersome symptoms; however, physical therapy can be an effective treatment option for flat feet.
What symptoms can flat feet physical therapy treat?
Flat feet occur when the arches on the inside of your foot have flattened out. This condition can affect one or both feet, and it’s typically the result of abnormal foot development, foot or ankle injuries, or obesity.
Some of the symptoms that people with flat feet can experience — and physical therapy can help treat — include:
- Pain in the foot arch or heel
- Foot pain that increases with activity
- Swelling in the affected foot or ankle
- Pain in ankles or knees due to poor leg alignment
What physical therapy methods are used to treat flat feet?
To begin treating your flat feet, our physical therapists will first do an assessment to make sure your symptoms are being caused by this issue. They can then build you an individualized therapy plan that may include:
- Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) — Specially designed metal tools are used to reduce tightness in foot and ankle tissue, which can decrease pain.
- Therapeutic exercises — Our physical therapists can show you how to do foot exercises designed to relieve collapsed arch symptoms. One study shows that five weeks of therapeutic exercises helped improve arch depth by almost 3 millimeters. Additionally, this study reveals that this therapy method helped improve balance test results by more than 8%.
- Recommendation for orthotic inserts — Fitting your shoes with orthotic inserts can be helpful for people with flat feet. Our physical therapists can recommend some of the most effective inserts to help improve foot and ankle alignment.
Peak Performance offers physical therapy for flat feet
Not sure where to go to find physical therapy for your flat feet? Our team at Peak Performance is primed to assist you. We offer free screenings that can reveal the source of your foot symptoms. Our team also excels at building personalized therapy plans for multiple foot issues, including flat feet.
Think you need a doctor’s referral before starting therapy? Think again! At Peak Performance, we don’t require a doctor’s recommendation before you start using our therapy services. Our team also offers virtual care and at-home therapy services to help you get effective therapy without even leaving your home.
Don’t wait to start getting our help with your foot issue. Contact us today for more information about our helpful services or to schedule your initial appointment.
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