Flat Feet

Woodlands Center For Special Surgery

Hand Surgeons & Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Specialists located in The Woodlands, TX & Willis, TX

Flat feet can cause serious pain and even mobility issues, but new technology offers highly effective solutions. At Woodlands Center for Special Surgery, Dr. Mark Ciaglia, DO, Dr. William J. Jordan, MD, Dr. Hemali Patel, DPM, and their team provide comprehensive flat feet care at locations in The Woodlands and Willis, Texas. To learn more about innovative technology to fix flat feet, including flatfoot reconstructive surgery, call the office nearest you or request a consultation online today.

What are flat feet?

Having flat feet means you don’t have a foot arch while standing. Foot arches can vary quite a lot from one person to another, from shallow arches to high arches, but with flat feet, your entire foot touches the ground.

Children have flat feet until around age 5, at which point they usually develop arches. But some kids never develop arches, which leads to flat feet into adulthood. Some adults have arches, but the arches collapse, leaving them flatfooted.

What are the symptoms of flat feet?

Aside from the obvious visual indicator of flat feet, you may have problems such as:

Aching feet
Foot pain
Swelling
Pain that increases with exercise

With flat feet, you’re more likely to also have foot problems like hammertoes and bunions. If you have flat feet but don’t have any symptoms, it’s still important to see Woodlands Center for Special Surgery. Their team can check for underlying conditions and start any necessary treatment so you can avoid complications.

What causes flat feet?

The most common reason adults develop flat feet is posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD). The posterior tibial tendon supports your arch, but if it’s damaged, your arch can collapse.

PTTD usually occurs because of tendon overuse. It commonly causes progressive damage, which leads to gradual arch flattening. The most common risk factors for PTTD and resulting flat feet include being female, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

You can also experience flat feet because of arthritis, traumatic foot injury, or a diabetic foot condition called Charcot foot.

What is the treatment for flat feet?

Your treatment plan varies depending on the root cause of your flat feet.

Woodlands Center for Special Surgery offers a variety of cutting-edge treatments for flat feet. These include conservative care options like custom orthotics and advanced procedures like flatfoot reconstructive surgery to restore the damaged tissue and bones inside your foot.

The team at Woodlands Center for Special Surgery always prescribes the most conservative solution possible, and they use minimally invasive techniques whenever possible if you need flat feet surgery.

If your flat feet are causing you serious pain and restricting your mobility, it’s time to find out how Woodlands Center for Special Surgery can help. Call the office nearest you or book an appointment online today.