Short foot exercises for flatfoot therapy: Status and prospects

Flatfoot, a disorder defined by the flattening or loss of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA), affects approximately 15.6% of the child population. It may result from congenital or acquired dysfunction of muscles, tendons, or ligaments in the foot and ankle, as well as skeletal abnormalities. Clinically, this disorder manifests as foot pain, gait abnormalities, and compensatory injuries in lower limb joints (e.g., knee and hip), thereby affecting motor function and quality of life. Short foot exercises (SFE) as a noninvasive rehabilitation strategy enhances arch height and improves dynamic foot support by actively contracting plantar muscles. It has been confirmed to effectively improve foot morphology and alleviate pain. This is a narrative review that summarizes the impact of flatfoot on patient health and the benefits of SFE-based interventions by focusing on the morphological, functional, and biomechanical characteristics of flatfoot, the standardized intervention cycles and assessment approaches for SFE as well as the mechanism(s) by which SFE alleviates flatfoot-related symptoms.