What will long-term flat feet and severe over-pronation be like?
I am 20(F) and I’ve been treated for flat feet and severe over-pronation since I was 7. My mother noticed it when I first started walking so it was something that I was born with and I started seeing an orthotic specialist when I was 7 and have been consistently wearing custom orthotic insoles in all my shoes since.
It has definitely helped to prevent some deformities such as bunions and hammer toe and my toes curl much less inward towards my feet than they used to but I’ve been dealing with pain constantly that I thought was normal for as long as I can remember and I’ve found it’s become progressively worse and worse since I was about 14.
In terms of my feet they are completely flat when I stand and my whole foot rolls inwards with my ankles doing the same and both heels seem to be significantly everted to compensate. I believe my flat feet are also flexible flat feet. My knees sit slightly inwards also and I haven’t been able to ever stand properly if they aren’t like that.
I’ve been struggling a lot with feet, ankle, knee, hip and back pain for years, especially if I’m working and on my feet for 4 hour long shifts. Everyone always says to me that I’ll just get used to it but I never do, it’s definitely not as bad as when I first started my job but it’s still horrible and the pain makes me feel nauseous and exhausted. I often have to rely on knee and ankle supports when working lest I wish to hobble home after work because I can’t bear the weight or pain any longer.
I saw my GO today and I’ve been referred back to the orthotic specialist at my local hospital as I aged out of the paediatric care and have also been referred for an MSK assessment.
My question is though, what will things look like long-term and how are other people getting on? Is there anything in particular I need to look out for or consider and what medical avenues worked best for other people?