The most common reason why children are referred to specialist orthopaedic clinics is that they have flat feet. Essentially, this means the arches of their feet are lost when standing. While most children with flat feet are fine, others go on to experience on-going pain and disability.
30 Percent VA Disability Rating for Flat Feet (Bilateral)
The 30 percent rating for pes planus is applicable for bilateral flat feet with: Objective evidence of marked deformity (pronation, abduction, etc.) Pain on manipulation and use accentuated, indication of swelling on use.
To be considered pronounced, the condition cannot be helped by shoe supports and both feet must be affected. Veterans with pronounced bilateral flat feet are rated at 50 percent. Veterans with pronounced unilateral flat foot are rated at 30 percent.
Flat feet, or "fallen arches", are where your feet press flat on the ground. They're common and usually nothing to worry about.
Some common foot injuries for VA disability claims are plantar fasciitis, flat foot, claw foot, and various other foot injuries ranging from moderate to severe.
Those with flat feet are not suited to marching - they can sustain spinal damage. The government may not care if one is killed, but cannot take the chance of anyone's seeking a disability pension.
This condition often develops during the teen years and gets worse with age. Your feet may feel painful. It can be difficult to flex the feet up or down or move them side-to-side. Flatfoot may affect one foot or both.
Over time, the tendon that runs along the inside of the ankle and helps support the arch can get weakened or tear. As the severity increases, arthritis may develop in the foot.
Flat feet are commonly associated with genetic disorders that first develop in childhood, including: Calcaneovalgus (excessive bowing of the calf bone) Congenital vertical talus (congenital flat foot)6. Dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder)
When you have flat feet, you may find that you get tired easily, especially in your feet. You just can't go as far as your family and friends.
The causes of flat feet are varied. Some inherit the condition from their parents as an isolated trait, this is particularly true for children with hypermobility or “double jointed”. Others develop flat feet as part of another genetic condition. Still others develop the condition over time.
Despite the many disadvantages, it might be the case that some incidences of flat feet could improve the absorption of shocks. If you are a swimmer, flat feet may also be very helpful because they can act as a kind of flipper. Flat feet, of course, are not entirely advantageous.
For painful flatfeet, a health care provider might suggest: Arch supports (orthotic devices). Nonprescription arch supports can help relieve the pain caused by flatfeet. Sometimes custom-designed arch supports that are molded to the contours of the feet are recommended.
While many people have flat feet and do not experience any negative effects, others may find that they have foot pain, fatigue easily, or have an abnormal walking pattern. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make living with flat feet more comfortable.
If you are seeking how to fix flat feet or find pain relief, there are a number of treatment options available, including physical therapy, orthotics, flat feet exercises, and, in rare cases, surgery.
When do children typically outgrow flat feet? Normally, flat feet disappear by age 6 as the feet become less flexible and the arches develop. Only about 1 or 2 out of every 10 children will continue to have flat feet into adulthood.
When flat feet persist in children after the age of five years and they complain of pain in their feet, treatment with insoles / arch supports is used more often to alleviate discomfort. In rare cases, young teenagers with persisting symptoms may require surgery.
Also known as pes planus and fallen arches, flat feet occurs when the foot's arch either fails to develop or collapses. Flat feet in children is fairly common due to the fact that their bones and joints are still extremely flexible. Most children outgrow the condition by age six.
“Even if you have flat feet, you're probably walking every day, so as long as you're not doing it for significantly longer durations than you commonly do daily, you're OK.” Build up to those longer distances at a slow but steady pace. “It's no different than those couch-to-5K running programs,” he says.
Treating flat feet using exercises can prove to be a difficult task. Conservative management strategies and exercises to improve flat feet have limitations in rebuilding the arch entirely and rather serve to maintain and support the arch as weight is applied to it. This is usually done in conjunction with orthotics.
Being Born with Flat Feet
Approximately two in every ten children will continue to have flat feet into adulthood. “Rigid flat foot” is the result of either a birth defect or from an abnormal connection between foot bones (tarsal coalition).
Flat feet, the condition in which the arches in the center of the sole of the foot are absent when the feet are bearing weight, is quite common. Approximately 8% of adults in the United States have congenital flat feet, which occur when the arches fail to form during early childhood.
To start, Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter of all time, is flat-footed. There are many professional basketball players and countless athletes/sprinters who are flat-footed and do incredibly well in the sports they play.
Flat feet can be classified into either flexible or rigid arch that may or may not reform in non-weight bearing postures. The features of flat feet are an extremely low arch that increases the risk of hallux valgus, hammer toes, patellofemoral pain, and other musculoskeletal complications including low back pain.