Hello all, I am about a month before surgery, and I am curious about how the weight loss has affected those who have collapsed arches / flat feet / those who wear orthotics in their shoes?

Right now that is my biggest pain, so I'd love to know if it improved with the weight loss, and if so, roughly how long it took to improve the pain in feet and knees. Thanks!

Is it something you’ve always had so your natural physiology, or something that developed with your weight gain? If it developed with your weight gain it’s likely it will improve. My ankles ached when I had my final big weight gain which was sudden & the balls of my feet burnt. Both these things improved heaps or disappeared completely. I’ve always had a degree of pronation (my ballet teacher lamented all the time) & it hasn’t changed because it’s how my body is built. Unfortunately the knee pain I get from sitting too long hasn’t improved but that’s from being short & sitting in chairs that are too high ?.

You may notice additional pain & discomfort as you lose weight as your muscles & tendons get used to not having to carry & balance your excess weight & get used to your improved posture. I had upper back pain in around month 3 or 4 because my bust had got a lot smaller & I was carrying myself differently. (Buying underwear that fit stopped the pain.)

Hi there! I'm so excited for you as you move ahead in this journey. Like Arabesque said, if your arches are collapsed due to your weight, then you will probably see improvement. I used to have high arches, but now they have collapsed due to my weight over the years. After losing what I have, it has helped with foot pain and discomfort so much. I no longer have any pain, but if I've been walking all day (like at an amusement park), then they start to ache, but still nothing like they used to. Also, just about a month or so after my surgery, I started to feel a difference in my walking. I just felt lighter on my feet, so improvement began relatively quickly. Everyone is different, so the degree of improvement is per person, but losing the weight should improve your symptoms. Also, get some good walking shoes, if you don't already have some. My podiatrist recommended the New Balance brand, as they make great shoes for those with feet problems, including flat feet. I tend to wear the 600 or 900 series myself (which he recommended). Even after the weight loss, he said it's a good idea to wear the proper shoes for good support. Take care and good luck! ?

Thank you for the quick responses! I've been wearing orthotics since I was young, so I don't expect that to ever go away, but my feet definitely got worse over the years with more weight gain, especially in the last 3 years it became so painful to walk for longer than 20 minutes without massive aching in my arches and feet, and of course the fun bonuses that go with it like shin splints, tight tendons, and knee pain! I'm just hoping some of those symtpoms go away with the weight loss.

I've got some good ASICS now that have taken me a long time to 'break in', my feet still get sore no matter what I wear after a certain period, but at least I know that it should improve a bit and that I'm wearing good shoes and have proper orthotics. I'll see how I go later down the track when I've lost some weight!