treatment
Last reviewed 01/2018
No treatment is generally required for small children with flat feet except for perhaps raising the inner side of the heels of their shoes. In older children and young adults, arch supports inside the shoes may be required. Exercises to strengthen the feet will not correct deformity but will reduce the likelihood of 'foot strain'.
If the condition is secondary to a disorder such as poliomyelitis or rheumatoid arthritis, then operative correction and muscle rebalancing may be necessary.
Severe deformity requires surgery that is dependent on pathology, eg, sub-talar fusion for valgus heels.