Introduction
Splayfeet are the most common orthopedic foot malposition in Germany and also the one most frequently associated with pain. In many cases, splayfeet only occur in mild forms without any disease value. However, pain in the foot can sometimes occur, especially if people tend to have splayfeet or if they have already been diagnosed without treatment or prevention of progression. Often the pain is caused by incorrect loading and overloading, and there may also be a rare neurological cause behind it.
Causes of pain
The basic causes of pain that can occur with splayfoot are due to the special position of the foot bones and also nerves. In the foot there is a holding apparatus of ligaments, tendons and muscles that holds the metatarsals together so that the load during walking and standing is carried by the 1st and 5th metatarsal. Splayfeet have a damaged transverse arch, so that the bones in the metatarsus diverge, spread and sink.
The big toe can also move outwards and form the so-called hallux valgus. All in all, the foot flattens out in this way and with every step, bones come into contact with the ground that are not normally involved in bearing the main load – the metatarsal bones 2-4. This incorrect load causes unpleasant calluses to form under the feet due to hornification, which cause pain.
The causes of these processes are usually wrong and too tight shoes, especially high heeled shoes are problematic in this respect. Congenital connective tissue weaknesses can also increase the risk of splayfeet. The pain is then caused by chronic strain on normally unstressed regions.
Especially the second and third metatarsal bones are thus incorrectly loaded and overloaded. Also, prolonged standing causes pain in the affected areas. In addition, a neurological problem with splayfeet can occur, which causes further pain.
This is the so-called Morton neuralgia. Several nerves run between the toe bones, which are exposed to little or no stress during walking and standing in a normal foot position. Due to the anatomical shifts in splayfeet, these nerves are constricted and are further irritated and compressed with each step. This cause of pain in splayfeet is mainly located between metatarsal bones 3 and 4.
