How can we help Flat Feet?
A great many people are afflicted with flat feet and in most cases it is a genetic condition, that is, something we were born with. But what does it really mean?
A bad case of flat feet typically has a footprint that looks something like this – a narrow heel, widening to a broad forefoot, with no noticeable arch at all. This simply means that the muscle and ligament structures which should be supporting the bones of the arch, are weak and/or not well developed.
When one has a weakened muscle group, whether as a result of injury, prolonged illness, or a genetic weakness, the obvious and best thing to do, is to exercise those muscles! Biokineticists, massage therapists and physiotherapists will be able to provide a combination of massage, therapy and exercise programs to provide the necessary stimulation and movement.
But the exercise needed to change a flat foot would be very intense, prolonged and seldom sustainable indefinitely. So in most cases, you are told there is nothing that can be done about a flat foot…just live with it!
Wearing an artificial support does help to make the foot more comfortable – flat feet are often very tired and even sore, especially if the person stands for long hours. Such a support is usually designed to support the medial arch, on the inside of the foot, only. It may be a built in medial pad in the shoe or a separate medial arch support.
however, a static, rigid (or inflexible) support does nothing to build strength or permanently change the shape of the arch. To do this there would have to be movement – or continuous exercise.
Soft Steps® do this perfectly! Not only is the medial arch supported firmly and comfortably, but the other 2 arches of the foot are supported, in ratio, too. This is beneficial to the body’s centre of gravity and stability, and provides good balance, even during high level activities. Soft Steps flex with each step and thus exercise the moving structures of the foot. Because this happens with every step, the foot gets exercise all the while you are walking or standing – automatic, effortless, pain free massage all day long! The bones adapt slowly to the new shape as they are lifted by the strengthening muscles and tendons. Of course this changes things…as illustrated by the before and after prints here.
So, if you have been ‘living with’ your flat feet for years and have helplessly borne the tiredness, clumsiness, misaligned knees and hips, and the general exclusion and limitations of this condition, give yourself a new lease on life with a better looking, stronger and happier pair of feet!
