OUCH MY ACHING FEET

"My feet hurt." "I hurt too much to put on my shoes." "Thank goodness, the day's over, I can take these things off and wear my slippers." We hear these complaints all the time, if not from our co-workers, friends and family-we're mentally saying it to ourselves.

Have you ever wondered what makes our feet hurt? For over 25% of us the cause is flat feet. That's right. It's not just a cosmetic problem - flat feet start causing problems for people in early childhood and carry on throughout their entire lives.

Thankfully, there are treatments that can help put the spring back into our step - and without it hurting.

Dr. Ivar E. Roth, a board certified foot/ankle surgeon affiliated with Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California calls flat feet the "silent epidemic". He is one of approximately 25 master surgeons in the United States and the only one in Southern California skilled in a procedure that can correct the problem permanently.

Q. What is "flat feet" exactly?

A. Flat feet are a structural deformity of excessive motion of the ankle bone on the heel bone. This causes the feet to "turn in" or pronate to an extreme point where it causes at the very least, tired, achy sore feet.

In children, they will not want to run and play with their friends, try to get out of doing sports in school or if they're old enough, say their feet hurt too much to get up and do any kind of physical activity.

As we age, flat feet start to wear out our knees, hence so many knee replacements. Hips will start to pop out of position, there will be back pain and a host of other problems as the lack of proper alignment takes its toll on our bodies.

Q. Is surgery the only way to correct the problem?

A. Not at all. First we like to try cushioned insoles, proper fitting shoes and anti-inflammatories. Your podiatrist can suggest which type is best for your situation.

If an over-the-counter insole doesn't provide enough relief, there are prescription orthotics, which are made by professionals who make a mold of your feet. If all this fails then you come to a podiatrist such as myself - and have a procedure called "subtalar arthroereisis."

It is a surgical procedure in which a small titanium stent (which looks like a screw) is inserted into the sinus tarsi. It more or less forces the bones to stay where they are supposed to be and helps the foot to form an arch. It takes less than 30 minutes per foot. Both feet can be done at the same time. The patient home with a brace or removable cast for three to four weeks.

There is no "down" time. No crutches are necessary, pain is minimal and no physical therapy is needed as follow-up. Most patients say they feel relief as they're leaving to go home from the procedure. As with all surgeries there is risk, but it is quite minimal. In fact, 20 percent of my patients opt to go through the event with nothing more than a local anesthetic.

Q. Who benefits the most?

A. Children. If they are treated early on, we can prevent a good deal of wear and tear on the body. But I've done the procedure to people in their 60s and beyond and they've told me they were able to go out and do activities they had long since thought they'd never do again.

So the next time you feel you can't stand the thought of walking another step or keeping your shoes on one more second-take a look at your feet! Don't sit there, check it out with a podiatrist and you'll be dancing happily in no time at all.