What help is there for painful flat feet?

Question

My 13 year old son is having a lot of pain in his feet today. His feet are flat. Are there inserts or any methods that help?

Answer 1

yeah there are some shoes that u can buy him it will help him alot and besides u have to take to a doctor

Answer 2

My husband and I both have flat feet. For the best help I would go see a podiatrist and they can prescribe custom shoe inserts called orthotics.

Your doctor may suggest these other treatments and adjustments, depending on your condition:

* Custom-designed arch supports. Commonly called foot orthotics, these are interchangeable among your shoes and may provide more support because they're molded to the contours of your feet. Orthotics come in three types: rigid, semirigid and soft. The type that's right for you depends on what kind of support your doctor is trying to provide to your feet.
* Rest. Your doctor may recommend rest and avoiding activities that may aggravate your condition until your foot feels better.
* Medications. Your doctor may suggest you take over-the-counter pain relievers until the pain subsides.
* Weight loss. If you're overweight, losing weight may help.
* Wedge, in addition to an orthotic. If you have tendinitis of the posterior tibial tendon, you may need to insert a wedge along the inside edge of the orthotic to take some of the load off the tendon tissue.
* Additional foot support. Your doctor also may advise that you wear an ankle brace or a walking boot for a time until the tendon inflammation subsides.
* Surgery. In severe cases, you may need tendon surgery.

My husband gets the most relief from shoe inserts and he has a heel spur so the anti inflammatory medications when it starts acting up.

Answer 3

You need to take him to a surgical podiatrist. I had flat feet all my life and lots of pain. I went to many podiatrists and they proscribed me all kinds of orthotics and devices to try and help me. But nothing helped. The fact of the matter is, it depends on the cause of the flat feet. If your son's flat feet are caused by a congenital deformity like mine were (in other words, he never grew arches in his feet) then he will need surgery to have arches constructed and that will be the only thing to help him. If it is a matter of his arches simply fell, then the doctor will decide the type of orthotic he will need. They have rigid orthotics and soft orthotics.

Answer 4

I use an insert in my shoes. They fit into heel of shoe and finish just after the arch. There are lots of types. Mine are kind of cork material, but I am looking at getting some gel ones as they look like they would absorb shock better. Get them at your local Boots chemist

Answer 5

Have u bought him customed shoes??? People with flat feet can't wear normal shoes like us cause we have an arch in our feet and they don't so this could be why he is having pain in his feet. I found a website that may be able to help you out:
http://www.afpafitness.com/articles/FlatFeet.htm
Hope your son gets better :o)

Answer 6

He needs special shoes, and I would try the gel inserts, if one doesn't work try 2 or 3 of them... more cushion the better it will be for him...Take him to a podiatrist, he will have the best answers for u... temporarily the gel inserts should work..
sounds like the therapist w/the cold soda cans knows what she's talk'n about...

Answer 7

we always take really cold cans of cola out of the fridge and while sitting run it back and forth with you sole on the floor. The can has to be on its side so it rolls when you do this, it helps to stretch the sore muscles of the foot and the cold helps to ease the pain.

Answer 8

there are many inserts you can get from your local K-mart or Wal-mart..I use them all the time and they are not very expensive either..try it out they are by Dr. Scholls

Answer 9

http://familydoctor.org/106.xml

Answer 10

I would go see a podiatrist !! there they will probably give him so orthotics (I dont really no how to spell that word !!)