Q: My child has very flat feet. Should I seek medical treatment for this?

A: The old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” has merit. Flat feet do not necessarily have to be treated if they are not painful. In fact, some very young children “grow out” of this as they age. Painful flat feet can often be treated successfully in young children with prescription arch supports while the joints and ligaments of the arches grow stronger and more supportive with age. In some children, conservative treatment does not relieve the symptoms of pain. In that event, many different surgical procedures are available to correct this deformity and can be selected based upon the specific bone and soft tissue conditions of a given child’s foot.