MONDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients with flat feet either don't need treatment or can benefit from conservative treatment, according to a physicians at the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in San Diego.
No treatment may be necessary for patients who are experiencing no pain and have no walking difficulties. Conservative treatment is appropriate when patients develop foot pain and find it difficult to wear regular shoes.
"Many patients do very well in an athletic-type shoe with an orthotic," Steven L. Haddad, M.D., of the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, Ltd., said in a statement.
According to Haddad, not all adult patients with flat feet experience foot pain. "Sometimes a patient presents with lower back pain, or pain in the hip, leg, knee or ankle," which results from the pronation's effects on the patient's gait, he said. When pain persists despite the use of conservative treatments such as orthotics, physical therapy and medication, it may be a sign that surgical reconstruction is necessary, he added.
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