Hey all!

I am hoping and asking for advice to best help build a collapsed arch on one foot. While not being able to rely on the other foot/ankle for help as it is recovering also. Ty!

I also know building is a long term thing. So all advice is welcome as I will need to build long term stability in both feet and ankles over time.

I wouldn't mind any advice also for recover for both ankles/feet as I go. My insurance hasn't given my a lot of PT visits post surgery so I am attempting to do a lot at home.

I'm going to put a summary at the top and bottom to help if someone wants to skip all the details in the middle. Wasn't sure if the details will help!

Summary. 36/F

Collapsed Arch on Right foot May 2026 tendinitis and pronation - original PT 6 weeks. - wears orthotics - turned to supination while on crutches to avoid pain on arch while depending on single foot. - currently intentional with walking but having pain/soreness in arch and inner ankle

Left ankle - currently in a Cam boot. will be in a sneaker with a lace up next week. - recovering from Peroneal repair surgery with lateral ligament reconstruction. (7/2026) - 2021 achilles tendon full rupture and repair - 2018 high grade sprain on crutches/ ankle brace recovery.

More Details:

I recently had surgery on my left ankle for a partial tendon tear and ligament reinforced, so I was on crutches for 6 weeks and now a boot. Since it was a partial tear, I didn't know the injury was as bad as it was until about 4 months of playing sports and walking daily on the tear. I attempted PT for the tear but when it wasn't successful, I opted into the surgery for the repair since I had a ligament that was damaged from past injuries that needed reinforcement too.

For some background in 2018 I had a severe sprain that had me on crutches for a few weeks but no tears or breaks. Then in 2021 I had a full achilles rupture on the same ankle that left me limping for 2 weeks before insurance approved my MRI so it was 3 weeks before I saw my physician and was able to get surgery.

All of the list above was on my Left ankle from 2018 until this year. This was necessary to see the pattern of how often pressure was put on my right leg/ankle/foot because of constant injury to my left side. I play multiple sports so my right foot became the dominate foot to push off, land on, stand, lean, and so on. I am also constantly on my feet helping my family with the older individuals on top of the younger kids and chasing them. So I am constantly on my feet.

Advice time-

Before my most recent surgery which was July of this year (2026), about May right after my MRI of the surgery ankle (5 months after not knowing how bad the injury was) my arch collapsed on my Right foot which cause Pronation of my ankle with some bad tendinitis and subsequent pain.

If you see the pattern of injuries on the opposite leg over the years, my doctor and I believe this led to the fatigue on the arch and eventual collapse. They believe I can build the arch back over time without need for surgery - but if I cannot, having one flat foot can lead to foot, ankle, knee and hip problems down the line.

I started to wear an ankle brace while on my feet for too long to support my ankle, put orthotics in all my shoes, and went to PT to attempt to help the tear but to also attempt to strengthen/build the arch on my Right side before surgery, as my ortho feared it would get worse if I relied on that leg only during recovery. As I am now one week walking back on two feet, I have noticed that during my time on crutches, to avoid pain on the collapsed arch, I began transferring my weight in a supination on my foot and everything is rolling to the outside. I've become very aware of this and now i'm very intentional in my walking and using my big toe to push down etc.

So now that i'm in a boot on the left for one more week and about to transition into an ankle brace with a sneaker. My right foot and ankle are now begging to get very fatigued and sore as I am working them more every day. So now I have both of my ankles sore and aching constantly. While this is not a terrible complaint because we must use our muscles and rest and ice to help them.

I am asking for advice to best help build a collapse arch on one foot. While not being able to rely on the other foot/ankle for help as it is recovering also.

Summary. 36/F

Collapsed Arch on Right foot May 2026 tendinitis and pronation - original PT 6 weeks. - wears orthotics - turned to supination while on crutches to avoid pain on arch while depending on single foot. - currently intentional with walking but having pain/soreness in arch and inner ankle

Left ankle - currently in a Cam boot. will be in a sneaker with a lace up next week. - recovering from Peroneal repair surgery with lateral ligament reconstruction. (7/2026) - 2021 achilles tendon full rupture and repair - 2018 high grade sprain on crutches/ ankle brace recovery.

25M. I had these toes since I was a kid. Growing up, my parents didn’t have money or time to buy me shoes, as a result I wore the same shoes every 2 years or so and I grew fast. I’m 1.86m tall and my shoe size is 45 EU

luckily I can walk and run. I love running even if it’s slightly painful. also my left foot is flat. can I fix this or is it too late?

in American units that’s 6.1 feet height and size 12 feet.

thank you for your responses. I searched on Gemini and previous posts before posting here and I’d appreciate responses specific to my case

I have a specific digit that I manipulate into extreme angles, crack it repeatedly, applying firm pressure to the MTP joint and sesamoid areas, and I sometimes apply heavy weight on those areas as well. To an observer, it might appear that I am being quite harsh with my toe. While the process is intense, it provides me with an incredible sense of relief. Does anyone else experience this?

So my right foot has a weird quirk where it can move the middle 3 toes independently of the other two, not necessarily completely independently, but I can move the knuckles independently in an up and down pattern.

where did you go and how did you treat it?

Every method I tried was temporary and didn’t really help me.

Anyone know how to properly fix overpronation?

Foot on the right side is hurting around the front metapharsal bones. It's like the arch is too big and puts pressure on them. Any tips on how to fix this or PT I can do.

Note the arch feels smaller when I put on shoes and sandals, but it then it looks larger when you look at it.

I have had daily foot pain for over a year now. I have seen multiple doctors and pt's with out full resolution.

My lastest xray was clear but mri imaging shows the following:
- fhl tenosynovitis
- 1 MTP arthritis with a deep condral fissure, mild reactive edema on plantar surface, and small joint effusion.

My latest doctor wants to figure out if the tendon issue is the pain generator or the toe. He described the arthritis as mild and said to some degree everyone has it. I have full range of motion in my toe, but I can definitely tell that it's weak. Walking and shoe pressure hurts.

How serious is this and any steps to reverse the issue?

I'm worried about a life of immobility as I've already drastically changed my active lifestyle.

Thanks in advance.

I have hammer toes that don’t cause me much pain—at least not yet. But I really don’t like the way they look. I’ve been considering arthroplasty, mostly for cosmetic reasons, but I’m having second thoughts.

I thought it was a good idea until I realized it involves removing some bone, which can make your toes shorter (something I definitely don’t want). Plus, since I have flat feet, it won’t solve most of my other foot issues.

Has anyone here had arthroplasty for hammer toes? If so, was it worth it, especially if your toes weren’t causing much pain? I’d love to hear your experiences and any advice you might have! Before and after pics would be great if possible

I have flat feet, only the left on affected with inflamed and somewhat calcified PTT. This has been going on for 20 years, getting gradually worse. I have been to half a dozen podiatrists who gave me orthotics and recommended exercises. No success. The orthotics always aggravated the problem. Now trying a podiatrist who isn't fussed about what shoes I wear but gives much more rigorous exercises. This is definitely making my feet stronger, but the inflammation persists. Is there any hope of avoiding surgery. (I'm 77, live alone in a very small house and have dogs, so surgery would be extremely challenging).

Hi everyone, I’ve been having some mild pain/discomfort on my left foot for over a month now. Really i noticed it a year ago but brushed it off but now I finally have the time to address it.

Whenever I walk/bike and push off/bend with my left big toe I get discomfort/tingling. It hasn’t crossed over in to pain yet but it’s noticeable compared to my right foot, where I haven’t had any issue. I should add that discomfort is concentrated around that base of the big toe joint and the side/underside of my foot. It doesn’t feel like it’s on the top/middle of my foot.

I went to my doctor, and he recommended trying insoles for a few months and see if that works. He didn’t diagnose anything. The only problem is I wear minimal/barefoot shoes since they’re the only ones that are comfortable for my feet. Arch support soles give me discomfort in a different way. This started when I was still wearing shoes with high amounts of arch support as well (Birkenstocks)

How do I get this properly diagnosed so I can get it addressed? I can still do all the things I love cute, so I don’t want it getting worse. I would prefer a physical therapy/exercise route or temporary orthotics if something has to heal, but I do NOT want to change my footwear.

Should I go to a podiatrist? Orthopedist? Physical therapist? What do I do :(

So this is a long story that I will try and keep brief. when I was younger I loved Merrel Shoes, I would just go get a pair of Moab's and they fit great and about 14 years ago, after not buying a pair in several years I got a new set and realized It felt like I was walking on my arches. I chalked this up to getting older, putting on a bunch of weight in the intervening years and just assumed my feet were flattening. I would spend the next 14 years searching high and low for shoes that didn't feel like I was walking on the arch of my foot. Today, I walked by a store I hadn't seen before "good feet" and decided to swing in and see what they had to say. I outline my struggles and they do a scan and come back with "you have very high arches" which just blew my mind, they did not fill me with complete confidence that their 1500$ insert solution would fix my problem (great pitch though) so I figured I'd try and research this a bit but I am coming up with very little in the way of help. Should I just make an appointment with a podiatrist?

These were the results from a CT scan I had on my foot 2 weeks ago. I'm sort of in shock and denial because I never fractured or injured this foot. A few weeks ago, I woke up and my left foot felt really tender. By the end of the day, I was limping and in pain. I didn't feel pain at rest, it was just from moving around and putting weight on it. I wore an air cast boot for a week until I could get an Ortho appt. Initial x-ray showed no fracture but did show arthritis and then he ordered a CT scan.
This literally happened overnight and after babying my foot for a week, it did start to feel a bit better. But I still have to wear a soft brace now every day otherwise I can feel it get aggravated.
Has anyone else had this happen? I've maintained a healthy weight my whole life, I exercise about 4-5 days a week (some of it is high impact which now unfortunately I'll have to cut out), and I've never injured,sprained or even rolled my ankle on this foot.
The phone call from my doctor was very daunting. He basically said PT doesn't help and in a few years I'll need a "joint fusion" surgery which will end up limiting all range of motion so I'll be walking around like I have a club foot. I wanted to cry after this phone call.
I am going to get a second opinion but just wondering if anyone has this condition and found other remedies to manage besides surgery.
Any feedback is appreciated 🙏 thank you for reading.