Flat Feet

Q: My 12-year-old has flat feet and often complains of foot pain. What kind of shoe would be best for her?A: Most teen-agers with flat feet do not have true abnormalities of the foot. When examined, the feet are found to be of normal anatomy, although the arch on the inside of the foot is diminished or absent.When your daughter stands on her toes, is the arch restored? Is the muscle tone in her legs normal? Do the various parts of the foot move freely? If so, the condition does not need "correction."

I still think about Saipan because it was the worst one," recalled Samuel A. Culotta, a Baltimore lawyer and frequent Republican candidate, who spent World War II in the Pacific as a Navy corpsman. Culotta, 84, was a veteran of nine island landings that stretched from Makin Atoll to Kwaajalein, Eniwetok, Okinawa and the Philippines. The hellish memories of five days on Saipan in the Mariana Islands are as fresh as they were 65 years ago, Culotta said. He likened the June 15, 1944, invasion, to an almost "forgotten D-Day," with 3,500 Americans killed and thousands wounded.

Is there anything that can be done for flat feet? Yes, there are lots of options, from simple arch supports to custom-made orthotic devices to foot reconstruction surgery -- decidedly a last resort. Flat feet are normal in kids under 3. Those chubby little feet simply haven't had time to develop fully, so kids have fat where adults have arches. Not until adolescence -- or earlier if a child chronically complains of tired or achy feet -- it is a good idea to consult a doctor about flat feet.

Is there anything that can be done for flat feet? Yes, there are lots of options, from simple arch supports to custom-made orthotic devices to foot reconstruction surgery -- decidedly a last resort. Flat feet are normal in kids under 3. Those chubby little feet simply haven't had time to develop fully, so kids have fat where adults have arches. Not until adolescence -- or earlier if a child chronically complains of tired or achy feet -- it is a good idea to consult a doctor about flat feet.

When you run, you land on the outside bottom of your foot and roll inward, causing your lower leg to twist inward -- at the same time your kneecap is pulled in the opposite direction. This natural "rolling in" motion is called pronation, and it helps prevent injury by distributing the force of a footstrike throughout your entire leg rather than concentrating that force in your knees, hips and back.Place the outside bottom of your foot on the ground and deliberately roll your foot inward. You can see your lower leg twist inward.

Q: I just got a job in the promotion department of a company in the music industry. I'm excited because I'll be working with some of the new young stars.Now the biggest party of the year is coming up and I want a real knockout outfit. I've been told I should wear something that will get me noticed, but although I want to look glamorous I also want to look classy.Can you give me an idea of what is in fashion right now? I don't want to look as if I'm wearing my old prom dress.A: The two most important trends for evening right now are color and shine.

MEDICAL SCIENCE now concedes that flat feet are not bad for you and may even be good. Which prompts this reminiscence from one of our agents:"Growing up in the Thirties with flat feet was a terrible fate, especially if your dad happened to be a fellow with a perfect arch who was proud of his military academy graduation ring. Early on in life, I had to get accustomed to the fact that I was a born reject, a lad who could never fulfill his father's dreams by gaining entry to the Naval Academy."

Megan Levin may have flat feet, but she sure keeps on her toes.The 13-year-old Ellicott City native just spent a week performing with the renowned Joffrey Ballet of Chicago in Washington. She's looking forward to the day when touring with such a company might become a way of life.But turning professional probably won't be a big surprise for this dark-haired slip of a girl. She's been dancing since she was 3 years old."I decided to turn serious when I was about 8," says Megan with aplomb, as her parents, Kim and Mark Levin, look on proudly.

I still think about Saipan because it was the worst one," recalled Samuel A. Culotta, a Baltimore lawyer and frequent Republican candidate, who spent World War II in the Pacific as a Navy corpsman. Culotta, 84, was a veteran of nine island landings that stretched from Makin Atoll to Kwaajalein, Eniwetok, Okinawa and the Philippines. The hellish memories of five days on Saipan in the Mariana Islands are as fresh as they were 65 years ago, Culotta said. He likened the June 15, 1944, invasion, to an almost "forgotten D-Day," with 3,500 Americans killed and thousands wounded.

A high school football coach can watch students as they walk down the school's corridors and tell which children have the ability to run fast. Those with flat feet, bowed legs and pigeon toes have a built-in advantage.When you run, you land on the outside bottom part of your foot and naturally roll inward. The vast majority of people who are told they have flat feet really have normal arches. But they usually roll inward far more than normal. Their feet only appear to be flat because their arches roll inward so far you can't see their soles touching the ground.

Megan Levin may have flat feet, but she sure keeps on her toes.The 13-year-old Ellicott City native just spent a week performing with the renowned Joffrey Ballet of Chicago in Washington. She's looking forward to the day when touring with such a company might become a way of life.But turning professional probably won't be a big surprise for this dark-haired slip of a girl. She's been dancing since she was 3 years old."I decided to turn serious when I was about 8," says Megan with aplomb, as her parents, Kim and Mark Levin, look on proudly.

Q: I just got a job in the promotion department of a company in the music industry. I'm excited because I'll be working with some of the new young stars.Now the biggest party of the year is coming up and I want a real knockout outfit. I've been told I should wear something that will get me noticed, but although I want to look glamorous I also want to look classy.Can you give me an idea of what is in fashion right now? I don't want to look as if I'm wearing my old prom dress.A: The two most important trends for evening right now are color and shine.

A high school football coach can watch students as they walk down the school's corridors and tell which children have the ability to run fast. Those with flat feet, bowed legs and pigeon toes have a built-in advantage.When you run, you land on the outside bottom part of your foot and naturally roll inward. The vast majority of people who are told they have flat feet really have normal arches. But they usually roll inward far more than normal. Their feet only appear to be flat because their arches roll inward so far you can't see their soles touching the ground.

Q: My 12-year-old has flat feet and often complains of foot pain. What kind of shoe would be best for her?A: Most teen-agers with flat feet do not have true abnormalities of the foot. When examined, the feet are found to be of normal anatomy, although the arch on the inside of the foot is diminished or absent.When your daughter stands on her toes, is the arch restored? Is the muscle tone in her legs normal? Do the various parts of the foot move freely? If so, the condition does not need "correction."

When you run, you land on the outside bottom of your foot and roll inward, causing your lower leg to twist inward -- at the same time your kneecap is pulled in the opposite direction. This natural "rolling in" motion is called pronation, and it helps prevent injury by distributing the force of a footstrike throughout your entire leg rather than concentrating that force in your knees, hips and back.Place the outside bottom of your foot on the ground and deliberately roll your foot inward. You can see your lower leg twist inward.

MEDICAL SCIENCE now concedes that flat feet are not bad for you and may even be good. Which prompts this reminiscence from one of our agents:"Growing up in the Thirties with flat feet was a terrible fate, especially if your dad happened to be a fellow with a perfect arch who was proud of his military academy graduation ring. Early on in life, I had to get accustomed to the fact that I was a born reject, a lad who could never fulfill his father's dreams by gaining entry to the Naval Academy."

It's a common misconception that bunions are caused by high heels and tight shoes, says Dr. John Senatore, chief of podiatry and a sports-medicine physician at Union Memorial Hospital. Stilettos and narrow toe boxes can aggravate those unsightly protrusions, but they are caused by foot type, says the veteran marathoner, a frequent lecturer on foot-related injuries and treatments. What is a bunion? The term "bunion" is derived from the Latin bunio, which translates into "turnip." The term is loosely applied to any enlargements of that big-toe joint.

She's been through a lot in the past few weeks - fainting on live television, her father's death and her son's entry into rehab - yet she's endlessly chipper. But, frankly, we're pretty much over Marie Osmond and her inexplicably long run on Dancing With the Stars. Hardly any of the prognosticators on this sort of thing thought she'd make it to the finals because of her weak technique and simple choreography. Sure, her fainting episode was memorable; too bad such a highly replayed moment had nothing to do with her skills on the dance floor.