What are flat feet?
Flat feet means the inner arch of the foot is low, so more of the sole touches the floor when you stand. In some people the arch drops only when they stand, and returns when they rise on their toes. In others the arch stays low.
It is common, and most flat feet cause no trouble. This page is about adults whose low arch has become painful, or has changed.
Is a flat foot a problem?
Not by itself. A foot shape is a problem only when it hurts or stops you doing what you need.
Pain may appear in the arch, along the inner ankle, at the heel, or higher up in the shin, knee, hip or lower back. The arch is the foot’s shock absorber, so when it flattens, other joints sometimes share the load.
The pattern matters. A low arch with pain along the inner ankle needs a closer look. Heel pain under the foot may be plantar fasciitis, which can go with flat feet.
Who feels it in Ipoh?
People on their feet all day feel it first. Teachers, hawkers, shop staff, nurses and factory workers on hard floors can end the day with aching arches.
Footwear plays a part. Thin flat slippers worn on tile floors at home offer no support, and sports shoes worn for a morning walk may be a poor fit for a flexible foot.
Weight gain, pregnancy, older age and a long period of less activity can all let the arch sag. Our page on knee pain explains why foot position can affect the knee.
What do we check at the first visit?
We watch you stand, walk and rise on your toes, since the foot behaves differently on the move. Then we test the foot and leg.
- Whether the arch returns when you rise on your toes, or stays low.
- Pain along the inner ankle or in the arch.
- Strength of the small foot muscles and the calf.
- Movement of the ankle, big toe and foot.
- Alignment of the heel and the knee.
- Your shoes, where they wear, and the floors you stand on.
If the arch has dropped in the last few months or the inner ankle is swollen, we tell you and help you see a doctor first.
How does physiotherapy help?
The aim is a foot that copes with your day, not a perfect arch. We build the strength of the foot and calf, and share the load better.
A plan can follow these steps.
- Settle any sore spot by changing what you wear and how long you stand.
- Learn the short-foot exercise: draw the ball of the foot toward the heel without curling the toes.
- Strengthen the calf and the muscles that hold up the arch with heel raises.
- Practise standing and walking with better foot position.
- Choose, with us, whether an insole or a different shoe would help.
Recovery varies, so we review progress each visit. The glossary entry on orthotics explains insoles in plain words.
What can I do this week?
These small changes ease the strain on a low arch.
- Wear shoes with a firm heel and some arch support at work and on walks.
- Avoid long hours barefoot or in thin slippers on hard floors.
- Place a mat where you stand for longer jobs, such as the kitchen sink.
- Try short-foot holds while seated, a few times a day.
- Break up long standing with a short sit or a walk.
If an exercise makes the arch hurt more, stop and tell your physiotherapist.
When should I see a doctor first?
See a doctor if your arch has dropped over a few months and the inner ankle is swollen or painful. Go too if one foot has turned outwards, or you cannot rise on your toes on one side.
See a doctor for a hot, red or very swollen foot, numbness, or a foot ulcer, especially with diabetes. Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Fatimah Hospital and Pantai Hospital Ipoh can see you for these. For children’s feet, see flat feet in children.
How do home sessions in Ipoh work?
A physiotherapist comes to your house, watches how you stand and walk on your own floors, and checks the shoes you wear to work. Foot exercises need only a towel, a chair and a small step.
Home visits cover flat feet across Ipoh now, and the Canning Garden centre is opening soon for those who prefer to come in. Describe your feet on WhatsApp and we quote the price. Our home physiotherapy page shows how a visit runs.