Can I play soccer if I have flat feet?

Question

I am totally confused if I can do any sports associated with running. My doctor in Ukraine told me that I cannot do any sports. No running, no jumping, no pressure on my feet at all. Couple of doctors here in the United States told me that it is ok to do sports if I wear arch support; However I have been wearing those arch supports and I feel uncomfortable running in them. My feet hurts and I injure myself playing soccer sometimes. Can I get some operation? What should I do I love running?

Answer 1

You absolutely can run with flat feet.  Go to an othotist and have them to recommend you proper inserts.  The type that you buy in a boxed stores are not suitable for flat fleet.  Orthotics can support your arches according to your foot not anyone elses (like the ones you buy at Target/Walmart/Drug store etc.)

Once your fitted for othotics, then go to a speciallty running store and have them fit you into proper running shoes with your orthotics (Some runners are design for people with flat feet).  

My daughter has flat feet and wears orthotics and run ;)

Then your ready to go :)

Good luck

Answer 2

well dude, for soccer, u need feet. u have dem. be happy...

Answer 3

Sure you can play soccer with flat feet!  People do it every day.  I might have wondered about your Ukrainian doctor's comment, thinking maybe you had a form of flatfoot called "rigid flat feet" (you can look that up for more info, or click on the links below).  But fortunately, if you've been to U.S. doctors who examined you and they gave you the go-ahead, I'd say go for it!

It sounds to me like following your Ukrainian doctor's advice would have made you into an old man before your time.  It's important to remain active for good health, and we all need some playful activities in our regular life.

What kind of arch supports are you wearing?  How flat are your feet?  When you look at your wet footprint, is your entire sole touching the ground?  In the most extreme cases, the footprint actually bulges outward where the arch is supposed to be.  It sounds like you have extremely flat feet, maybe we need more information.  Where do your feet hurt?  What kind of injuries are you talking about?  Any additional information you can provide might help.

I recommend that you visit a podiatrist, who can give you a better opinion, after they have` examined your feet and listened to what you have to say.  Go to a podiatrist, maybe one who specializes in sports medicine, and they can answer any questions you may have about surgery.  Surgery is a last resort, and maybe you could benefit from it, but you should try other things first.  No one here is going to be able to diagnose your own foot condition, you'll need to go to a podiatrist for that.  Let me know if you need more info on flatfoot surgery.  It takes a long time to recover from most flatfoot surgery, although in recent years a form of implant was invented, which works for some people, depending on how young you are and how flatfooted you have become; it is a relatively simple procedure.  Your podiatrist can tell you what's right for you, but be sure to do your homework, so you can be sure you've got a good podiatrist.  It's important for you to be an informed patient, especially any time you are thinking about surgery.  If surgery is recommended, be sure to get a second opinion, and if there's any disagreement, get a third opinion, because you are talking about a possible major re-engineering of your foot.

A podiatrist will be able to give you advice on arch supports.  It's good to start out conservatively, to see if maybe all you need is the arch supports you can get in any drug store.  It sounds like you need something more, but your podiatrist should first recommend a more serious form of off the shelf arch support, like Spenco or Superfeet inserts.  You can get custom orthotics from your podiatrist, and although they can be expensive, they can be a big help and they usually last a long time.  They are far better than the drug store arch supports, stronger and molded directly from your own feet, so you'll find they probably fit way better than the drug store arch supports.

On my first visit to a podiatrist, I was really in pain because I had been running a lot and my foot biomechanics are just not good for running (although when wearing my custom orthotics, they correct for this).  On that first visit, he taped my foot, which created a beautiful arch (temporarily) in my very flat foot, and he said, ok, let's try this for a few days and see if you feel better.  The difference was amazing, having an arch in my foot again, I loved it.  It was a huge help.  Then I got custom orthotics, and it took awhile for me to get them adjusted just right, but this was all included in the total cost, the follow up visits.  I can tell you more about this if you like.

Your shoes are really important, and you should choose shoes that are designed specifically for a flat foot, both your soccer shoes and your running shoes.  Be sure you are using the right shoes for the right activity, because each sport can have different needs, the way you use your feet, like whether you need lateral motion control or have a lot of stops and starts, or whether you have the heavier foot strike of running.  You'll find many shoe reviews on the web, but you should be sure to go to the shoe manufacturers' websites for shoes you are considering.  If you have a wide or narrow foot, be sure to choose shoes that come in widths (like Brooks, New Balance, Asics).  Again, ask me if you have questions.

When I was growing up, i repeatedly injured myself too, because I had "weak" ankles, and it seemed like I was always twisting them.  It turns out that this can be pretty common for guys with flat feet, and the more this happens, it can make you worse off.  I didn't know it until I went to the podiatrist, but my feet are slightly twisted, which causes me to twist my foot when it hits the ground, to get my entire foot making contact.  Although this is something that can only be changed by surgery, these days I don't really have a problem with it.

Don't give up soccer and running, because they are good for your health, even if they are bad for your uncorrected feet.  Just work on adjusting your feet with the right support and right shoes, and consider getting surgery if your problems are severe.  Also you should consider doing other sports which are kinder to your feet, like swimming, just as one example.

Good luck and feel free to write if you have more questions.