There is a common myth perpetrated in today’s soceity that orthotics are bad for flat feet. The truth is if you are having pain because of flat feet, you need to be wearing orthotics. Yes, I know they can be expensive, but remember you do not have to purchase expensive orthotics first. You can purchase less expensive orthotics first and give them a try.
Why do orthotics work for flat feet? If something is falling down propping it up can only help. If your arch needs support then an orthotic can help support the arch. A common cause of flat feet is Tibialis Posterior Tendonitis, which leads to weakness in the arch causing the arch to slowly collapse. By supporting the arch with an orthotic you are essentially bracing that tendon and giving it help in support of the arch.
But the most important reason that orthotics help with flat feet is pronation. Yes, about 90% of painful flatfeet are due to faulty biomechanics, usually with excessive pronation or other biomechanical abnormalities. How do you correct pronation? The answer is you do not. The key is to think of orthotics as the same as glasses. Glasses do not correct your vision, they help your eyes focus. Orthotics do the same thing; they help your foot focus. If you have faulty biomechanics, such as faulty vision, an orthotic will help reduce the effects of faulty biomechanics and bring your foot into focus, if you will.
Now are there people out there with flat feet who orthotics never worked for? The answer is yes. Because you failed one orthotic does not mean you should not try others. You should try at least two sets of orthotics. If your flat feet continue to hurt after orthotic therapy, then the next option is surgery. Believe me you do not want flat foot surgery. It requires 6 weeks of non weightbearing and a long recovery. So do not listen to people that tell you orthotics are bad for flat feet, they are not. They may be just the thing to bring your foot into focus.