How To Fix Flat Feet
For most of my life I had flat feet. I was always concerned about the long term effects flat feet could be having on my body and joints. Not knowing differently I accepted that there was nothing that could be done to change them. I tried arch support inserts and stability running shoes but if anything they only made the problem worse. Being a do-it-yourself type of person I decided I wanted to try and fix the problem my way, using the knowledge and experience I had about how the body works.
Before
After
As a physical therapist, part of my job is figuring out ways to help people move better and overcome injuries. Only recently did I apply that same mindset to myself, taking an inward look at what I could improve on to keep myself healthy and injury-free. From my background and training I understood that the body is capable of changing. After further research I started to question the conventional belief that flat feet are an irreversible condition. For the better part of six months I looked at all the factors that contribute to pronation and what causes the arch of the foot to collapse. Using myself as the first test subject, I set up an experiment to find out if it is possible to restore normal arches with basic exercises.
I discovered that it is indeed possible to fix flat feet. The reason why this information is more widely known is probably because no one has really tried something like this before. I certainly was never taught exercises for correcting flat feet and overpronation in physical therapy school. The practice of using orthotics and motion control footwear is so firmly embedded in the health care field and running community that many people probably never consider using exercise as a viable alternative.
Before
After
Making these changes was not easy. The success I had was the result of a lot of trial and error. Since the time I started working on correcting the problem I was frequently trying out different exercises and strategies to get the results I wanted. The pictures above show that with the right program it is possible to build stronger arches.
I created this site to share the knowledge I learned during this process.