Effect of navicular mobilization on pain, foot function, and arch alignment in individuals with functional flatfoot

Background Functional flatfoot is commonly linked with pain, altered movement patterns, and reduced functional capacity. This present study was designed to analyze the effect of navicular mobilization on pain, foot function, navicular height, arch alignment, and proprioception in individuals with functional flatfoot. Material and methods A single-group pre- and post-investigational study was conducted with 73 patients aged 23-35 years for 1.5 months. Outcome measures included pain, foot function, navicular height, foot arch height, and proprioception. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were compared using appropriate statistical analyses. Results Statistical analysis revealed that navicular mobilization significantly reduced pain (6.58±1.28 to 2.7±1.30, p<0.001) and improved foot function (45.3±9.8 to 30.1±8.3, p=0.012). Navicular height increased significantly (20.5±3.6 mm to 23.1±3.4 mm, p<0.001) while foot arch height (13.8±2.5 mm to 16.2±2.8 mm, p=0.062) and proprioception did not show any significant changes (8.2±3.4 to 4.6±2.8, p=0.5). Conclusions Navicular mobilization appeared to be both safe and beneficial in reducing pain and enhancing foot function in individuals with functional flatfoot.