Prevalence and Functional Impact of Flat Foot among Medical and Nursing Students: Evaluation of Yoga and Ayurvedic Interventions

Abstract

Flat foot (pes planus) is common in young adults and can impair function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), yet its burden among medical and nursing students—who experience prolonged standing and walking—remains under-recognised. This narrative review synthesises evidence on the prevalence of flat foot in medical, nursing, and comparable student populations; summarises functional and quality-of-life consequences using validated assessment tools; and explores emerging integrative approaches incorporating exercise, yoga-based interventions, and Ayurvedic therapies. Available data indicate a non-trivial prevalence of pes planus in medical students, heterogeneous across studies due to variable definitions and tools, with symptomatic cases reporting pain, fatigue, reduced functional capacity, and impaired foot-specific HRQoL. Validated measures such as the Foot Posture Index-6 (FPI-6), Navicular Drop Test, Arch Index, and foot-specific HRQoL questionnaires (e.g. Foot Function Index–Revised, Foot Health Status Questionnaire) allow robust quantification of this burden. Exercise-based interventions, including "foot-core" strengthening and neuromuscular training, improve arch structure and function, and yoga-based programmes and Ayurvedic local therapies offer culturally congruent adjuncts for symptom relief and functional improvement, though high-quality trials in medical and nursing students are lacking. Well-designed longitudinal and interventional studies in health-professions students are needed to inform screening, prevention, and integrative management strategies.