Study Investigates How The Shape Of The Foot Arch Influences The Development Of Plantar Fasciitis In Young Adults
The feet play a key role in supporting the weight of the body and in maintaining balance and stability during activities.
The arch, or the mid-curve, helps the foot adapt on different terrain while absorbing shock forces that are produced as the foot hits the ground.
The plantar fascia helps to support both sides of the foot and the sole. It also provides passive support to maintain the height and shape of the middle arch.
For people with flat feet, the arch flattens completely which ends up repeatedly stressing the plantar fascia, leading to inflammation and a condition called plantar fasciitis.
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The authors selected 52 young men and women to compare the foot function and the thickness of the plantar fascia between those with healthy arches and those with flat ones.
This is because the plantar fascia has a tendency to thicken with the onset of plantar fasciitis.
After collecting information about the foot structure and plantar fascia, the group with flat arches was found to have thicker plantar fascia than the ones with healthy arches.
This supports the results of a previous study which found that people with flattened arches are at a greater risk of developing plantar fasciitis.
Differences were also observed in the muscle strength and ankle range of motion among the two groups.
The strength of the ankle muscles was found to be much lower in the flat feet group which can create problems in walking and maintaining stability.
Based on this, the authors concluded that people with flat feet are more likely to experience instability in the ankles and sprains unless they take measures to improve the strength of their ankle muscles.
The frequency of pain in the feet was also determined to be higher in the flatfoot group as compared to the healthy foot group.
To read the full study, please click here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6028224/
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