Flat feet, pronated feet.. 扁平足，内弯腿You probably have heard of these terms, or not, but think they have nothing related to you or your little ones? Just don't be too sure, these conditions quite common yet many of us may have omitted.
Recently I noticed something unusual in E's and C's posture. When E stands on both feet, the arch of his feet is not quite visible while for C, her feet tend to collapse inward when she stands (instead of firm on the ground)
So we took the duo for foot diagnostic.. Initially at a temporary setup by MyOrtho at Desa Park City (coincidentally they had a promotional booth there) and subsequently to Foot Solutions located at the Curve.
Foot Solution is equipped with a machine that can detect the contour of the feet during resting (relaxed without pressure) or standing position. Hence allowing accurate assessment of the feet's condition - whether is low arch (flat feet), medium arch (normal feet) or perhaps, over arch (discover this is also an abnormal condition during my own reading).
This picture better explains better:
E getting his feet diagnosed on the machine.
The foot contour was reflected on the screen while the staff explained what each of the color means..
The diagnostic confirmed that E indeed has flat feet condition, but the good news is that it can be corrected with the right shoe insoles with arch support. We decided to get him a pair of insoles which he can wear daily to correct his posture and improve the arch overtime.
Choosing a right size insoles - this can be added into existing pair of shoes to create better arch support.
Various choices available.
We are advised to let E wear the insoles for 1 hour on the first day, and slowly increase by 1 hour each day until he finally gets used to it. It does feel quite uncomfortable wearing it at first so need sometime to get used to.
As for myself, which I too have a condition of pronated feet, I decided to get a pair of proper running shoes with arch support since I have plans to participate in more marathon runs. There are few recommended brands that design shoes for people with flat feet conditions - Brooks, New Balance and Sketcher (there are a lot of other brands available but these are commonly available in KL). I got myself a pair of Brooks Transcend after visiting the store and tested out all the arch support sport shoes. ;-)
My handsome aids..
Is it really necessary to treat flat feet condition?
From what I've read, it is not a must to treat it since it is non threatening. However there are some problems associated to flat feet or over-pronated feet:
• experience pain in feet, ankles, knees, lower legs, hips.
• shoes wear out faster due to the inappropriate distribution of pressure and prone to injuries.
• gets tired faster
You may read on more yourself (links provided below), or seek consultation from orthopedics. I'm just purely sharing from the point of a consumer :)
One of the advise shared with us, on how we could prevent false flat feet for toddlers is to avoid wearing slippers for long hours. They are light by design, but do not provide adequate support for the arch.
So for your young kids, let them wear proper shoes - sports shoes, walking shoes... those with proper support.
That's all peeps, I'm just glad that we detected it earlier in my duo and their conditions can definitely be corrected. As for myself, since I'm determined to continue my running routine, getting a right pair of sports shoes will certainly help!
Keep calm and run on!
Xoxo,
PH
Useful link:
Flat feet explained
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/flatfeet/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Selecting the right foot wear
http://www.runnersworld.com/shoe-guide/runners-world-2016-spring-shoe-guide/slide/3
Exercise for flatfoot / fallen arched
