Fallen Arches
Massage Therapy Benefits Fallen Arches

Fallen arches are a common and painful condition. Often referred to as flat feet, massage therapy benefits this condition by easing muscle tension in the foot.

The foot is a complicated structure that contains 26 bones, 33 joints and over a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments.

The arch allows the foot to support your body weight in the most efficient way. It also acts as a shock absorber for the foot absorbing impact and then springing back. When the arches fall pain develops in the foot.

There are two types of flat feet. The first occurs when the arches never develop as a child. Babies and toddlers don't yet have fully developed arches, but as they age the arch develops. The arches usually start to develop between 4 and 6 years of age and become proper arches in adolescence.

Children with this condition may develop an unusual walk, walking on the outer edges of the foot. They will complain about foot pain and easily get tired on long walks. They may also complain about calf pain.

Though some incidents of flat feet can be genetic, the development of strong high arches can be encouraged by going barefoot in areas that challenge the foot muscles, like the beach.

The other type of flat feet occurs in adulthood. Usually it happens because the feet are strained. Wearing high heels for long periods of time, being overweight, and wearing shoes that don't have good arch support can all put strain on your arches. Flat feet can also occur as a result of injury. Rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes can also contribute to flat feet. Sometimes the natural wear and tear of aging causes the arches to fall. The condition may also develop during pregnancy.

When you have this condition you experience pain in the feet and calves when standing or walking for long periods of time. The condition also contributes to back and knee pain.

To find out if you have flat feet, check your foot print. It the print reveals that the entire bottom on your foot comes in contact with the ground then you have flat feet.

Massage Therapy Benefits Fallen Arches

Let's look at the benefits of massage therapy on this condition.

Massage can be used to decrease the muscle tension in the arch and increase the blood flow to the area to encourage the healing of damaged tissue.

While massaging the arches deeply and using trigger point therapy on them is helpful, the entire foot, ankle, and lower leg must be massaged to promote healing. The foot should be brought through all its ranges of motion and massaged thoroughly.

Paired with exercises to strengthen and stretch muscles in your feet, ankles and lower legs and arch support, massage can help you recover from the pain caused by fallen arches.