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Flat Feet Specialist

As of Tuesday, June 6th, our new Hudson office location is: 86 Healy Boulevard Suite 2, Hudson, NY, 12534

Flat Feet services offered in Kingston, New Windsor, Wappingers Falls, Hudson and West Coxsackie, NY


A lack of a normal arch, or flat feet, is a common issue among Americans today. At Hudson Valley Foot Associates, with offices in Kingston, New Windsor, Wappingers Falls, Hudson, and West Coxsackie, New York, a group of highly experienced foot and ankle specialists offers evidence-based conservative and surgical care for flat feet. If your flat feet are troubling you, call the nearest office or click on the provided link now. 

What are flat feet?

Flat feet lack an arch. If you have flat feet, your footprint is an uninterrupted one, whereas a person with a normal foot arch has a footprint that shows just the heel and the ball of the foot. 

Everyone has flat feet as a baby. About 80-90% of children develop arches before adulthood (usually by the age of six). But, a small number of children never form foot arches. 

Some people have foot arches but then experience an injury or illness that causes arch collapse, leading to flat feet. 

Flat feet can be flexible, in which you can see a foot arch when sitting but not when standing, or rigid, in which you never have a foot arch. 

What problems can flat feet cause?

Flat feet can’t support your feet and body properly, so they may lead to problems including:

  • Tired feet
  • Heel pain
  • Arch pain
  • Gait (walking pattern) changes
  • Leg cramps 
  • Inner ankle swelling

Not everyone with flat feet experiences pain or other obvious issues. However, because flat feet can cause harmful gait changes, they may eventually lead to problems even if they don’t hurt right now.  

How are flat feet diagnosed?

The Hudson Valley Foot Associates providers conduct a careful foot exam and discuss your activities and medical history with you in detail. Depending on the suspected problems within your feet, you may also need an X-ray or other imaging tests.

While they can generally diagnose flat feet with just an exam, a computerized foot scan can yield additional valuable information about your gait and weight distribution. So, it’s helpful for both diagnostic and treatment planning purposes. 

How are flat feet treated?

There are nonsurgical and surgical treatment options for flat feet. In milder cases, Hudson Valley Foot Associates may recommend a combination of foot exercises and custom orthotics. The custom orthotics work like your foot arch normally does, which corrects movement issues and eases symptoms caused by flat feet. 

In more severe cases, such as rigid flat feet that cause significant pain, conservative care may not adequately relieve your symptoms. Your providers may recommend reconstructive foot surgery, which can include bone repositioning, tendon transfers, joint fusions, ligament repairs, and other methods of correcting your foot problems.

If you have flat feet, you don’t have to suffer. Call Hudson Valley Foot Associates or click the online booking tool for help now.

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