I just read this story about flat feet in the New York Times. I’m not anti-surgery at all. Having benefited from surgical repair of torn cartilage in my hip socket, I fully appreciate how sometimes modern medicine is the way to go. Surgery helped me when yoga, massage, physical therapy, and other modalities just weren’t working.
But I notice the author of the article says his doctor tried everything—orthotics, taping, a brace—but mentions nothing of strength training for the feet. He does say he had hoped for a “simple solution like exercises.” I wonder if he ever worked with a physical therapist on the kind of footwork we do in yoga classes? Of course, it’s not that simple—you have to do them every day—and it takes time. But I suspect the recuperation from a surgery like this isn’t so fast either.
