Ask The Experts

What should I do for flat feet? Got flatter with barefoot exercise years ago. Orthotics as external support work, but do foot exercises work?

Thank you for contacting IPFH. We do not diagnose or offer medical advice on line. You mention that orthotics help, but you don’t say whether the orthotics have been prescribed for you or are “off-the-shelf” orthotics. If they were prescribed, then your best course of action would be to pose the question to the doctor or foot health professional who prescribed them for you, and ask him or her about the benefits of foot exercises. If the orthotics were not prescribed, then we would suggest you consult a foot health professional (you might get a referral through your primary care physician) and have him or her provide some recommendations for you (which might include custom orthotics). Certainly foot exercises are generally beneficial in building the muscles, reducing fatigue and soreness, and keeping your feet flexible; but we are not aware of specific exercises to benefit flat feet. This too would be a good question for your foot health professional: He or she might be able to provide you some exercises that can help.

It may not be a lot of consolation, but flat feet are a fairly common condition: According to the 2012 National Foot Health Assessment conducted by the NPD Group for IPFH, 8 percent of U.S. adults ages 21 and older (about 18 million people) have them. We hope you will consult a medical professional and that you will get some suggestions that will be of help for your specific situation.

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