Flat feet

[Raene]

I've had flat feet all my life, and I'll admit, I never was an active child. I had severe leg and foot pain when young and wore orthotics to correct the flat feet.

Unfortunately my daughter has flat feet too, despite me buying her decent shoes (flexible shoes when small, like Robeez, and now shoes like New Balance). She is also wearing orthotics at this point.

I'm pregnant with my next and worried that he/she too will have this problem. I have heard that it's genetic from the conventional doctor, and I don't doubt that at this time. But what I want is a solution for my daughter, and prevention for my in-womb baby.

I found one natural article once about how wearing flexible shoes/no shoes and hiking or walking around on rocky paths is the best thing you can do to build up muscles in your feet. Anyone have more info on this?

Firsthand experience? More natural advice than my conventional doctor can give?

Should I keep my baby barefoot/wearing flexible shoes, or did this CAUSE the problems in the first place? Ugh. So many questions here.

[spicyfull]

You might build Muscle but not an Arch. Its Genetic and all the Expensive shoes won't help. Flat Feet hasn't hurt Tyra Banks.

[iwuvmydoggy]

look at this thread: http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=49641

[jules88]

My son also has flat feet, which my doctor DID NOT diagnose, but my sister did. She is an orthotist(sp?)- anyway an easier way to say it is, she makes artificial limbs and shoe inserts and braces for those that need them. She put my son in inserts that will build his arch so hopefully in the future he won't have flat feet, like I do. He wears them in both shoes and no one knows. We do have to buy wide shoes which is difficult to find and when you do there is very little selection. It works, he has had them for 4 years(he's seven soon to be 8 in August) maybe and there is still a little bit of "work" for him to do on one foot. The other looks fine. My daughter also has them ( my sister also determined this) and she has had them for maybe 1 yr and one foot looks pretty good and the other needs a bit more "work". Get them while they are young, when shoe styles don't matter to them and besides if you wait too long you can't build or train the muscle, I'm not exactly sure what you call it. Hope that helps.