Myths About Flat Foot: For decades, researchers, healthcare professionals, and the general public have believed that people with flat feet are more likely to develop a variety of problems. In particular, it is believed that having flat feet can predispose individuals to future pain and other musculoskeletal problems, including problems with muscles, veins, and nerves.
The myth of flat feet was challenged
Flat feet are considered a 'time bomb', however, in a recent editorial published in the 'British Journal of Sports Medicine', a research team challenged this myth. We showed that this theory is unfounded. Flat feet inevitably cause pain or other musculoskeletal problems. Researchers in podiatric medicine at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) explained the results of this study and asked, where did such a theory come from?
Where did this concept come from?
The theory that flat feet are a problem is centuries old. It was revived in the early 20th century by the American podiatrists Merton L Root, William P Orien, and John H Weed, who developed the concept of 'ideal' or 'normal' feet. made popular. He said that if feet do not meet specific criteria of normality (for example, well-arched foot, heel straight in line with tibia), then they are abnormal.
Falling out of the syllabus
This principle has become important in the educational programs of health professionals. However, with the advent of modern syllabi, it is gradually disappearing. Do flat feet cause musculoskeletal injuries? Contrary to Root and colleagues' theory, a high level of scientific evidence shows that people with flat feet are not at increased risk for most musculoskeletal injuries.
Still, be cautious
However, despite these findings, it is often said that people with flat feet are at greater risk of injury or need treatment even when they have no symptoms of the disease. Unfortunately, this has led to unnecessary interventions such as orthopedic shoes for people with flat feet. Although a person with flat feet can suffer musculoskeletal injuries, this does not necessarily mean that flat feet will necessarily result in injury.
