Dr Erin: Childhood Obesity and Flat Feet
Recent research showed that children that are obese have a higher incidence of having flat feet or ankles that overpronate (tip inward). This type of foot deformity has been linked to a variety of conditions including foot pain, ankle sprains, knee pain, hip pain and low back pain. Since obese children are becoming more common place, does this mean we are going to have a low back pain epidemic in 25 years?
Before you start checking your children, it’s important to know that it’s normal for your children’s feet to be flat until they get to about 6 or 7 years old. At that time, you should start to see an arch appear and their ankle should be directly over their heel when they walk. If you child is over 7 years old and does not have an arch or if their ankle appears to tip inwards, they have flat or overpronated feet that does put them at risk for various injuries.
Sometimes overprontated feet are due to genetics and lax ligaments in the foot. Based on this research study, increased weight and decreased activity levels can also contribute. There’s nothing you can do about genetics, but this is just another reason to make sure your kids are staying active and keeping their weight within healthy levels.
Once have overpronated feet, the only treatment available are custom orthotic devices that slip into your shoe and correct the lax ligaments in your foot. And no, foam, gel or flexibile orthotics from the drug store don’t work. You need a semi-rigid prescription device to control a flat foot. This is something that I routinely check during patient examinations and can also prescribe/make using our digital gait analysis or through a foam cast. If you have questions about your feet or think you may need orthotics, feel free to email me at drerin@ducatchiropractic.com.