Can i join the army with flat feet

The condition can be caused by an injury, loosening of the tendons that hold the joints together, or an arch that never developed. As long as any of us can remember, would-be enlistees for military service were automatically disqualified if they had flat feet. Obviously, being a member of the military requires excellent physical health, whether at home, overseas or in a war zone. But why single out flat feet as the one foot irregularity that will get a potential recruit turned away from military membership?

Modern policy on physical requirements for soldiers was shaped by centuries of war, and medical practitioners who understood that good soldiering requires good feet. Records documenting the battle of Valley Forge mention how U. During the Civil War, physical examinations addressed foot health, but both sides needed men to join the fight, so physicians relaxed their standards. The ability to march was considered the most important factor in winning wars.

So, why are flat feet such a problem for joining the military? A study of Israeli Defense Force trainees found that high arches are more likely to cause stress fractures than flat feet. Trainees with the highest foot arches got nearly 4 times as many stress fractures than flat feet.

A study of 83 female infantry recruits suggests that a low arch could be a risk factor for sprained ankles. As you can see, there is some evidence that having a low arch can put you at bigger risk of issues with the lower legs. There is also the challenge of arranging special footwear in a military situation.

This can make people with flat feet an inconvenience in the eyes of military recruiters. Marching, standing for a while and running can all be difficult with very flat feet. Even keeping your balance can sometimes be a challenge. These issues can make military operations a big challenge. From there if your feet do become an issue and you start getting pain related symptoms as a result then this could affect your chances as sustaining an injury consistently can be a problem.

They are an issue as the army can potentially be a very physical and demanding job on the body. Your feet can have a large impact on this as they play a vital role in supporting the body through actions such as running.

Having fallen arches can only be an issue within the military if they are symptomatic and damaging to your health and safety. They can be an issue depending on your role within the army, if you are deployed on the front lines then there is a chance that you may be put in some tough and risky situations anywhere in the world. Also the health and fitness requirements for a lot of army training involve long marches and runs which can be potentially harmful to new recruits who suffers from regular arch and heel pain as a result of fallen arches during exercise.

There are however roles in the army where you are not required to be on your feet as much so if you are someone that struggles due to their flat feet then there may even still be a role for you.

Flatfoot people in general do not need to be fixed but rather improved, if we can improve the overall function of a flat foot and its surrounding structures then this decreases the chance of potential injury. It would be a good idea to go see your local podiatrist as they can assess both your arch and its supportive structures.

Within your podiatry appointment your podiatrist will watch you walk and run to fully assess your gait style and they will take you through a series of related exercises to assess muscle, tendon and ligament strength such as calf raises and single leg balance. All the exercises will directly relate to foot function to see if there is an area of concern that needs to be directly addressed within a strength and conditioning program.

They will also directly assess and test all of your intrinsic foot muscles which are responsible for supporting your medial longitudinal arch. Only symptomatic pes planus is listed as a disqualifying medical condition due to the pain and decreased movement.

Most flexible flat feet are asymptomatic, which means they don't show any symptoms. If you do suffer from symptomatic pes planus, it's important to tell your recruiter. Depending on the severity of the condition and limitations it imposes on you, you may qualify for a medical waiver.