Flat feet are the most common type of foot deformity, caused by flattening of the arch, pronation of the posterior part and abduction of the anterior part. Simply put, it is a condition in which the arch of the foot occurs and the legs come into full or partial contact with the ground level. When parents encounter this problem with their children, they are often lost. Some rush around looking for money for surgery, others underestimate the negative impact of the disease on the child’s body and behave passively.
The most common is static flatfoot, which occurs due to muscle-ligamentous insufficiency. In infants and toddlers, the longitudinal arch of the foot is not developed, and flat feet are physiological. Later, when the child gets to his feet and takes his first steps, the arch of the foot flattens under the weight of the body, but then rises again with the development of the muscular-ligamentous apparatus. If during this period parents do not pay enough attention to the physical development of the child, the risk of flat feet increases significantly.
If flat feet have already formed, then simple exercises to strengthen the muscular-ligamentous complex will help you in the fight against this disease. And at the same time, you don’t need to take your child to the gym; all exercises can be done in the apartment where you live. But do not forget that correcting the arch of the foot is a long, constant and hard work, and gymnastics for flat feet in children will help you with this.
In the first year of life, when the child is not able to perform targeted movements, passive gymnastics and massage come to the fore in the treatment of flat feet. Children aged two years and older can use therapeutic exercises in the form of games with elements of physiotherapy. They will be happy to sit on the chair, roll the balls with their feet, grab them and try to keep them in the air for a while.
It is recommended to walk barefoot on uneven surfaces as much as possible. Flat feet are much less common if the baby often runs barefoot on the ground or on the lawn. You can fence off a piece of land, add sand and pebbles and invite your child to run around there. A combination of a warm foot bath and massage gives a good result. To do this, pour pebbles into a basin, fill it with warm water and dip the baby’s feet in it. Warm water relaxes muscles and ligaments, stimulates blood circulation in the legs, and massage with pebbles helps correct the arch of the foot.
Exercises for flat feet in children that need to be performed every day, 3 times a day, 10 - 12 repetitions.
A significant part of the training is cycling, walking barefoot on a log, climbing ropes, mountaineering, and swimming. It is important to develop a correct gait in a child. When walking, your feet should be parallel to each other, resting on the outer edges. It is difficult to control this process, but then it will become a good habit, brought to automaticity.
It is important to remember that the problem of childhood flat feet must be treated with due attention and its cure is possible. But for adults, this is a really big problem that requires serious attention.
Before talking about flat feet, you need to know what the foot consists of. And it consists of small bones, which are connected by muscles and ligaments. These bones form two elastic arches (longitudinal and transverse), in other words, springs that spring when walking. If the foot has a normal, correct structure, then when walking it does not touch the ground with its inner part. This happens thanks to the inner arch of the foot. And if there is overstrain of the muscles and ligaments that support the foot, or there is hereditary weakness of the foot, then it becomes flat and droops. This phenomenon is called flatfoot, which is divided into two types: longitudinal flatfoot and transverse flatfoot .
If you believe the statistics, flat feet are observed in more than half of adults; as for children, about 7-8% of children six and seven years old suffer from this disease.
It should be noted that in children under 5 years of age it is difficult to determine the presence of congenital flat feet, because all children under this age have elements of a flat foot. Moreover, in approximately 3% of cases of flat feet, flat feet are congenital.
If there have been cases of fracture of the ankles, calcaneus or tarsal bones, then traumatic flatfoot .
There is also rachitic flatfoot , which occurs due to the body loading on weakened bones of the foot.
As a result of paralysis of the plantar muscles of the foot, as well as other muscles that begin on the lower leg, paralytic flatfoot can form. As a rule, such flat feet are caused by a consequence of poliomelitis, and in our time practically does not occur.
Most often you can find static flat feet , which is formed due to weakness of the muscles of the lower leg and foot, as well as the ligaments and bones. The causes of static flat feet are different: for example, weight gain, lack of physical activity, working in a standing position, etc. If you have static flat feet, you may experience pain that occurs in the following places:
a) in the sole, in the center of the arch and at the inner edge of the heel
b) in the back of the foot, as well as in its central part
c) under the inner ankle and outer ankle
d) in the muscles of the lower leg, as a result of their overload
e) in the knee and hip joints
As a rule, the pain intensifies in the evening, and the foot area often swells. Visually, the foot looks elongated, widened in the middle part, its longitudinal arch is lowered. Due to all these factors, the gait changes, it becomes awkward, the toes are turned to the sides, and in some cases there is a limitation in the range of motion in all joints of the foot.
A single external examination will not accurately determine the presence of flat feet in the initial stages. Therefore, in order to accurately establish the diagnosis, special methods are used. One of these methods is as follows: you need to smear your feet with some rich cream and stand (stand with your feet together) on a sheet of paper that lies on the floor. The foot will be imprinted on the paper. Now you need to draw a tangent line on the resulting print to the most prominent points of the inner edge of the foot (GB). Then you need to divide this tangent line in half (GV: 2) and mark it with a dot (G). From point (G) the perpendicular should be restored until it intersects with the outer edge of the foot (J). Next, mark point (E) as the point of intersection of the line D with the inner edge of the foot. And finally, measure the segments DE, EJ and F and calculate the foot index (FI) using two methods:
1 way. According to Chizhin IS = DE: EZH (cu)
Method 2. According to Stritter, IS=DE:J 100%.
The most common type is transverse flatfoot. Normally, when walking, the maximum load is taken by the head of the first metatarsal bone (the pad of the big toe), and with transverse flatfoot, this metatarsal bone rotates and rises in such a way that almost the entire body weight has to be supported by the heads of the middle metatarsal bones. In this case, the big toe deviates and presses against the second toe, resulting in a bulging bone, on which the shoe presses. The area becomes swollen and red, and calluses form on the feet.
When treating flat feet, the degree of deformation of the foot is taken into account, and if the case is advanced, then surgery may even be necessary. In the initial stages of flat feet, the following measures must be taken: forming a correct gait, wearing shoes that are precisely matched to the foot, as well as using various orthopedic devices, such as special insoles, etc. But the most important thing in treating flat feet is performing special physical exercises, which include walking on tiptoes, walking barefoot on uneven surfaces, various jumps, etc.
Thus, thanks to therapeutic physical education (PT) for flat feet , the outcome of treatment for this disease is very favorable. It is also very important to remember about the regularity and systematicity of performing the exercises included in the complex of physical therapy and therapeutic exercises for flat feet.
So, we present to your attention the exercises recommended for flat feet :
1) Pull the toes of your feet towards you (alternately and simultaneously). As we pull our feet back, we simultaneously turn them inward.
2) We tear off the heels from the support (alternately and simultaneously). Make sure that your toes touch the support.
3) Bend your legs at the knees, spread your knees and hips to the sides, while your feet should touch each other with their soles. Then we spread and bring the heels together with emphasis on the toes (“clap” the heels).
4) Using sliding movements, we move the foot of one leg along the shin of the other, covering it.
2. Starting position: sitting on a chair, with the legs bent at the knees and the feet parallel to each other (at the width of the foot, together can be done)
5) Lift your heels off the floor (alternately and simultaneously).
6) We lift our toes off the floor (alternately and simultaneously).
7) Raise the heel of one foot and at the same time lift the toe of the other foot.
8) Place the shin of one leg on the knee of the other and perform circular movements with the foot clockwise and then counterclockwise.
9) We grab various small objects with our fingers and move them to another place.
10) Bend your toes, pull your heels towards them, then straighten your toes and bend them again, etc. (movement using the caterpillar method). Perform simultaneously and alternately with both legs.
11) Move to the starting position: sitting cross-legged. We bend our toes, tilt our torso forward and stand up, leaning on the side surface of our feet.
3. Starting position: standing, feet parallel to each other, feet width apart, hands on the waist
12) We rise on our toes and lower ourselves onto our entire foot. Then take turns lifting your heels off the floor.
13) We stand on our heels (raise our toes), then lower ourselves onto the entire foot.
14) Transfer the center of gravity to the outer edges of the feet and return to the starting position.
15) We perform half squats and squats on toes, while: a) arms to the sides; b) hands up; c) hands forward.
16) Starting position: standing on a gymnastic stick, the stick lies across the feet, and the feet are parallel to each other. In this position, we perform squats and half-squats.
All of the above exercises must be repeated at least 10-12 times.
also included in the complex of exercise therapy for flat feet :
- on the outer arches of the feet
- on your toes, with your knees bent
- on your toes, while raising your knees high
- on a ribbed board
— along a beveled surface (down)
- on an inclined plane (both up and down).
Of course, it is best to prevent the onset of the disease, to prevent it, than to undergo long-term treatment later. This also applies to flat feet. Children who already have flat feet or do not have it, but there are prerequisites for its development, need to perform special exercises to prevent flat feet, as well as exercises for its treatment. Namely:
Thus, we must not forget about the role of therapeutic physical education in the treatment of flat feet. Both LH and physical therapy for flat feet will help you and your children in the most important fight - the fight for your health.
Flat feet are considered an unpleasant disease. It is quite possible to fight the violation by defending your own good health in the fight. Remember, with flat feet the whole organism suffers:
The danger of developing serious diseases pushes a person to begin immediate work.
Flat feet are divided into two types:
Each exhibits individual characteristics. The differences do not affect the treatment technique too much, but you need to know the specifics in order for the gymnastics to be extremely effective.
Longitudinal flatfoot is a flattening of the longitudinal arch of the foot. Signs of the type of violation:
In case of treatment, you will need to focus on basic exercises, but completely turn off pronation of the feet - transferring weight to the inner arch. Longitudinal flat feet are not considered a death sentence; feel free to seek treatment.
Gymnastics for transverse flatfoot seems difficult due to the increased complexity of the disease itself. Transverse flatfoot is associated with flattening of the transverse arch of the foot. The foot looks wide, significant gaps will appear between the toes, larger than those established by the norm. It is important that transverse flatfoot leads to severe loads that are transferred to the veins and nerve endings of the feet. They get compressed when walking and standing.
Initially, the pressure does not seem dangerous, but gradually the harm becomes obvious. Transverse flat feet look doubly dangerous when combined with excess weight, which multiplies the negative impact on the legs. If we talk about exercises to treat the disease, the above options are performed except for spreading the toes, but it is permissible to safely use foot movements.
Some treatment complexes are designed for children; treatment of flat feet at an early age is considered the most effective. Gymnastics begins with strengthening the muscles of the foot. A simple exercise - flexion and extension of the feet. Then the foot exercises are reinforced by catching and releasing small balls. No difficulties are foreseen; after a couple of attempts a person gets the hang of it.
Exercise therapy is supported by non-standard body movement - bringing the heels together while maintaining the position of the toes. Now the exercises for the feet will require more energy - start squeezing the rubber ball and hold it in a compressed position as long as you can. Now you need to slide forward and backward with your feet, using the efforts of your fingers. The exercise is sometimes used in rhythmic gymnastics.
The ball is a convenient tool for training the feet, now the task becomes more complicated - there are exercises for the feet ahead, where you will need to lift different objects. It is no longer possible to do it in exercise therapy, but at home, increasing the effectiveness of treatment.
Many people remember an interesting tool similar to a mathematical abacus. Rolling your feet on balls allows you to activate your feet, improve blood circulation in the affected area, and allow your feet to receive a non-standard load that sends useful signals to the body. Remember about simple but useful physical therapy exercises: raising your toes, jumping in place with your feet fully straightened relative to the rest of the body, and other non-standard loads that your feet don’t get for months in normal life.
The foot exercises described above are not considered difficult. Doctors recommend making exercise therapy a lifestyle, getting rid of the disorder, and continuing to strengthen your feet. Movement is good for the body. Those who have recovered begin to recommend gymnastics to friends; a good example is contagious.
Foot exercises are designed for the average person suffering from transverse flat feet; in selected cases, consultation is required. If it’s not just flat feet, doctors have repeatedly noted that this form requires special control; before starting gymnastics, visit an orthopedist. The doctor will help you develop an individual technique. When the complex degree of flatfoot is corrected, it will be possible to move on to the standard program.
It is possible to cure transverse flat feet with the help of gymnastics; other methods of treating flat feet and strengthening the foot are also known.
Exercises for the feet give a good workout. Acupressure is encouraged, achieved only through massage. The procedure includes rubbing and squeezing the foot, stroking with the back of the hand. In the hands of an instructor, foot massage will become a formidable weapon against flat feet. Although it must be remembered that exercise therapy is the basis of treatment.
Exercise and massage seem like a little stress for sore feet. It is worth taking relaxing baths. The composition includes different ingredients:
Simple hot water will do, but decoctions of similar herbs are many times more effective.
Transverse flatfoot is treated with orthopedic insoles and inlays. This is an auxiliary method, but effective. The effectiveness of exercise therapy is high, but with the help of constant support of the foot in the correct position, the result will come much faster.
The method is ideal if severe flat feet are diagnosed. Shoes are made to order and using modern technologies, will lead to a decrease in pain, an increase in the threshold of fatigue and will allow you to return the pleasure of walking.
Any treatment procedure presented is not 100% effective. If we talk about proportions, therapeutic exercises provide 70% of the total beneficial effect in the treatment of flat feet, the other four methods provide 5-7% each. Any medical procedure has a chance of success, it is not always 100%, which means you need to try twice as hard as doctors recommend. Transverse flatfoot can become a permanent disease or change your life for the worse.
Flat feet in children is the most common orthopedic pathology in pediatrics, manifested by a decrease in the height of the arches of the feet. Flat feet can be detected in a child from birth (in 3% of cases); by 2 - 4 years it is observed in 24-32% of children, by 7 years - in 40%, by 12 years - in 50% of adolescents.
The active formation of elements of the arch of the foot in children occurs gradually, with the appearance and increase of load on the legs. The critical moment in the development of flat feet is the age period from 8 months to 1.5 years, when the child begins to stand up and learn to walk. At an early age, all children have a physiological flat foot, due to age-related anatomical and functional characteristics: the cartilaginous structure of the bones, more elastic and tensile ligaments, weak muscles. With proper development with increased muscle strength and endurance, this condition in children normalizes on its own by the age of 5-6 years. With certain disorders, children develop flat feet, leading to a sharp decrease in the shock-absorbing potential of the foot, an increase in the load on other elements of the musculoskeletal system with damage to the knee and hip joints, deformation of the spine, and disruption of the functioning of internal organs.
The foot has longitudinal and transverse arches, supporting muscles and ligaments that provide balance to the body, distribute and soften the shock load during walking, running and jumping, and also increase endurance to axial load. Based on anatomical characteristics, orthopedics distinguishes between longitudinal, transverse and combined flatfoot. In children, longitudinal flatfoot is more common with flattening of the longitudinal arch and elongation of the foot, which is in contact with the floor with the entire surface of the sole. With transverse flatfoot in children, the length of the foot decreases, its anterior section rests on the heads of all metatarsal bones.
Flat feet in children can be congenital or acquired. The congenital form is quite rare and is associated with malformations of the bone structures and musculo-ligamentous apparatus of the foot. Acquired flatfoot in children, depending on its origin, can be static, traumatic, rachitic, or paralytic. The most common static flatfoot is more common in school-age children when there is a discrepancy between the static and dynamic load on the foot and muscle tone.
Flat feet in children can develop for various reasons. Congenital flatfoot in children is observed with intrauterine underdevelopment of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons of the lower leg and feet. Acquired flatfoot in children also develops against the background of congenital connective tissue deficiency and can be combined with an accessory chord in the heart, inflection of the gallbladder, myopia, etc. In the formation of flatfoot in children, the hereditary factor is of great importance - the presence of this pathology in close relatives.
Flat feet in children can be caused by weakness of the musculo-ligamentous apparatus of the foot, which cannot withstand heavy loads; damage to the musculoskeletal system due to rickets; improperly healed fractures of the ankles, metatarsals, calcaneus and talus; paralysis or paresis of the muscles of the lower leg and foot (including after polio); neurological pathology (encephalopathy).
The occurrence of static flat feet in children is facilitated by wearing incorrectly selected shoes (tight, worn out, with thick soles), overweight and obesity, long continuous walking or standing. Often, flat feet develop in children with planovalgus foot deformity.
In most cases of congenital flatfoot in children, one foot is affected, which has the appearance of a rocking chair or “paperweight” with a convex sole and a flattened, even concave, back side. There is a heel position of the foot, sharp pronation with abduction of the toes outward. With the advent of static load, congenital flat feet worsen and become stronger.
In children 6-7 years of age, flat feet are manifested by rapid fatigue when walking and standing, and footwear trampling along the inner edge of the sole and heel. Clinical symptoms of acquired flatfoot in children are aching pain in the foot area, intensifying after prolonged standing; swelling of the feet in the evening, fatigue when walking.
There are three degrees of longitudinal flatfoot in children, determined by the degree of foot deformation. In grade I, the height of the arch of the foot is 25-35 mm, there is no visible deformation of the foot. With II degree - the height of the arch is from 25 to 17 mm, the flattening of the foot is visible to the naked eye; Flat feet in children are manifested by an increase in pain in the foot, ankle joint and calf muscles, and difficulty walking. The shape of the foot changes - its length increases, the middle part expands, the gait becomes heavy and awkward; Children experience rapid general fatigue. Flat feet of the third degree is characterized by pronounced deformation of the foot, a decrease in the height of the arch of less than 17 mm, constant pain in the legs and lower back, headaches, and the inability to walk in ordinary shoes.
Flat feet cause curvature of the toes, the appearance of calluses, the development of postural disorders (scoliosis) and spinal diseases (osteochondrosis, herniated intervertebral discs), the development of deforming arthrosis, inflammation of the menisci, etc.
Diagnosing flat feet in children under 5-6 years of age is quite problematic. The diagnosis of severe cases of flat feet in children can be made by a pediatric orthopedist during a clinical examination, which reveals changes in the length, width and range of motion of the foot, a violation of the condition of its arches, and features of shoe wear.
Objective methods for assessing flat feet in older children are plantography - obtaining an imprint of the footprint on paper and podometry - measuring the “podometric index” of the arch of the foot. The results of x-rays of the feet with a load performed in 2 projections help to clarify the diagnosis of flat feet in children.
Flat feet in children is a progressive disease, and the earlier its treatment is started, the more effective the results. Treatment of congenital flat feet begins in the first weeks of a child’s life, which makes it possible to eliminate all components of the foot deformity. For congenital flat feet in children, special therapeutic exercises, massage of the muscles of the foot and lower leg are performed; The foot is held in the correct position using bandaging, staged plaster casts, and night orthoses (from 6 months of age). When the manifestations of flat feet worsen in children, subtalar arthroeresis surgery is performed.
Treatment of static flat feet in children, aimed at strengthening the musculo-ligamentous apparatus of the foot, includes massage, physiotherapy and exercise therapy. For young children, soft shoes (felt boots, rubber boots, Czech shoes) are excluded; It is recommended to wear boots with hard soles and small heels that provide good support for the ankle joints. For flat feet in older children, it is recommended to wear orthopedic shoes with an insole-instep support, which lifts the lowered arch and returns the foot to the correct position.
The elimination of flat feet in children is facilitated by hydromassage, contrast foot baths, paraffin, ozokerite and mud applications on the feet, and magnetic therapy. In the absence of correction effect, plaster casts and splints are used; in severe cases of combined flatfoot, surgical interventions on the bones and soft tissues of the foot and lower leg are possible. The optimal age for surgical treatment of flat feet in children is 8-12 years.
Mild and moderate flatfoot in children is completely curable with timely correction; advanced cases are difficult to correct. If left untreated, flat feet in children lead to severe deformation of the foot, joints and spine.
Prevention of flat feet in children is wearing properly fitted shoes; physical education, team sports (basketball, football) and swimming; walking barefoot on uneven ground, sand, pebbles; normalization of calcium-phosphorus metabolism; body weight control.
Flat feet in children is a serious problem, the solution of which must be approached comprehensively. It is especially relevant in preschool age.
Children aged 3-5 years most often develop physiological flat feet, in which a fatty layer forms in the area of the medial edge of the foot, creating the effect of unevenness of the foot. This type of flatfoot is called static.
If flat feet have already developed in a small child, doctors recommend a comprehensive approach to its treatment. In particular, it is necessary to regularly perform gymnastic exercises and massage the child. If a baby develops physiological flat feet in the first year of life, then the only thing that can be done is to perform regular passive exercises and do a light massage. Exercises for flat feet in children aged 2 years and older already consist of play exercises with elements of physiotherapy. The baby will probably enjoy rolling balls with his feet, holding them with his feet, lifting them up with his feet, etc.
Gymnastics for flat feet in children includes regular walks on uneven surfaces barefoot. In the summer, a child suffering from flat feet can walk barefoot on asphalt or grass every day. In winter, doctors recommend using special rugs with a fleecy surface to correct flat feet, on which the baby should also walk barefoot. On a summer cottage or in the courtyard of an apartment building, you can create a kind of sandbox for your child, which will contain coarse sand and pebbles. Massage exercises for flat feet in children in combination with warm baths have an excellent effect. The baby's feet must be placed in a bath with warm water and pebbles. Small pebbles will gradually correct the arch of the foot, and warm water will relax the ligaments and muscles.
Every day (3 times a day), a child who has developed flat feet should perform the following corrective exercises (repeated 10-12 times):
The main gymnastics for flat feet in children are cycling, mountaineering, rope climbing, uneven bars, and swimming. Parents should pay more attention to shaping the correct gait of a young child. When walking, your feet should be parallel to each other. The child should walk, leaning on the outer edges of the foot.
If a pediatric orthopedist has diagnosed your child with flat feet, then treatment must begin immediately. Along with medications and massage procedures, physical therapy has a good effect on children’s flat feet. Gymnastics for flat feet in children is one of the effective areas of corrective physical education. Regular performance of gymnastic exercises by your child will allow you to:
• Effectively train all the muscles of the foot;
• Significantly improve blood circulation in the legs;
• Train the ligaments of the foot;
• Eliminate pain and discomfort that often occurs with the development of flat feet;
• Activate the production of joint fluid.
Preventive exercises for flat feet in children help to effectively correct the foot. Orthopedic doctors recommend performing them in a standing position. So, if a child is sitting on a chair, he can be asked to bend (extend) his toes, lift his heels and toes off the floor alternately, make circular movements with his feet, strongly pull his toes forward, without lifting his toes from the floor, forcefully move his heels to the sides.
• Stand on the outer edges of your feet for several minutes;
• Squat, trying not to lift your heels off the floor;
• Walk on your toes, heels, and arches of your feet.
Gymnastics for flat feet in children is often associated with the use of a ball as the main element of many corrective exercises. In a sitting position, the child can pull a ball lying on the floor towards him with his legs or roll the ball in various ways (while sitting - in a circle in different directions, put several balls scattered on the floor into a bag using his legs). With the support of the parents, the baby can stand on the ball and roll it along the floor with his feet. There is a good therapeutic effect when using games to correct children's flat feet. During the game, the child must perform various tasks to bend the toes and feet, walk on the toes and the outer edges of the foot.
By following all of the above recommendations, you can stop the development of flat feet in your child.
This gymnastics for flat feet, it can be performed not only to get rid of flat feet, but also for healthy people for prevention. It is especially useful to do it for those who, due to their work, experience a lot of stress on their legs: sellers, hairdressers, weavers, waitresses and people of other similar professions. Passive movements and self-massage are not sufficient for this.
When walking on your toes, try to rise on your tiptoes as high as possible. Move forward and then back.
First, 8 steps on your toes. Then take 8 steps on your heels, trying to lift your toes as high as possible. Steps should be small, knees straight, hip joints working. If you find it difficult to complete 8 steps at once, start with 3 and gradually increase to 8 or more.
The exercise should be performed at a slow pace. Move your left foot back and place it on your toes, transfer your body weight to it and slowly stand on your entire foot. The same thing, but only with the right foot and so on.
Walk on the outer arch of your foot, trying to squeeze your toes as tightly as possible, but not excessively.
With your feet shoulder-width apart, rise as high as possible on your toes and then smoothly lower back onto your heels. Do at least 8 times.
Place your feet wider than your shoulders, with your heels in line and your toes pointed out to the sides, like in a ballet stance. Rise up onto your toes, use your hands to hold the back of the chair, and then lower yourself onto your heels. Do the exercise 8 times.
Stand with your side to the back of a chair, rest your hand on it. Raise the leg that is farther away from the back of the chair, bend it at the knee and place your toes on the inside of the other leg. Press the toes of the leg bent at the knee as hard as possible. This exercise strengthens the muscles that support the arches of the feet.
Rise onto your toes and press the balls of your feet onto the floor quite vigorously, moving from one foot to the other, as Lezginka dancers do (although they dance on their toes, but this will be difficult for you to do, so the movement must be performed on the balls of your feet).
You can sit or lie on the floor, grab your feet with your hands and press them together, as if clenching into a fist, bringing your toes and heels closer to each other.
Get on all fours on the mat, place your feet on your toes and sit on them. At first you will find this exercise difficult, but doing it day after day will make it easier for you each time. The exercise has a very strong impact on the foot and helps strengthen it.
Remember that only regular exercise and performing recommended gymnastics exercises for flat feet, aimed at strengthening the ligamentous-muscular system of the foot, will allow you to correct and avoid flat feet. your first zest wish you with all my heart ?
Your first highlight suggests watching a video - gymnastics for flat feet, which shows simple exercises that you can perform at home. Enjoy your viewing.
Children's flat feet are the most common deformation of all arches of a child's feet. In other words, we can say that flat feet in children is the loss of all spring functions of the foot. An example is driving a car with good springs and driving a car with faulty ones. In the first case (a car with working springs), even very noticeable bumps and holes will be unnoticeable, but in the second car it will shake even on a small hole. This is exactly how the spine and hip joint shake when walking in children who suffer from flat feet. First of all, this can cause curvature of the spine, as well as pain in the head, legs, back, or can lead to some other serious illnesses. According to statistics, more than 65% of children acquire flat feet by school age, and even more patients with this disease leave school. Congenital flatfoot is a rare disease; in most cases, flatfoot is acquired. Nowadays, children of civilization, who do not have the opportunity to run barefoot on the ground, much more often develop flat feet and other disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Very often, parents do not even understand the seriousness of this disease; they believe that it will go away on its own - after all, the child is not disabled. Parents rely on the misconception that flat feet in children under six years of age is physiological and does not require correction. And this is not correct, because it is up to 5-6 years of age, when the ossification points are not closed, that it is easier to correct or prevent the development of foot deformities and to form a correct gait in the child. Flat feet never go away on their own. And in its advanced form, treatment of flat feet becomes more complex and expensive, in some cases they even resort to surgery.
It should be noted that all children are born flat-footed. Over time, the foot develops, it changes shape, and the arch of the foot rises. If this does not happen, then the leg remains flat, which means it quickly gets tired when walking, receiving too much stress. In this case, joint diseases associated with flat feet may develop: osteochondrosis, arthrosis and others. A child suffering from flat feet gets tired quickly while walking and standing. And with further development of flat feet, pain appears (as discussed above), making walking even more difficult.
The most common cause of flat feet is hereditary weakness of the ligamentous apparatus (including connective tissue dysplasia) of the foot and ankle joint, muscle weakness, as well as incorrect (congenital) vertical position of the talus bone in the ankle joint. Moreover, with the latter violation, hallux valgus occurs more often.
Acquired flatfoot in most cases occurs in children of preschool and school age. Among the causes of flat feet are: injuries in the ankle joint, prolonged immobilization in a plaster cast, bed rest, heavy lifting, and improper shoes. Although the latter does not occur so often and in socially unfavorable conditions, parents should still pay attention to the child’s shoes and should know that the shoes should have a small heel (about half a centimeter), a soft arch support and a hard heel. Moreover, the presence of a heel is mandatory, since its absence can lead to foot deformation. Before putting shoes on a child, parents need to take into account the fact that shoes that are two or even three sizes larger than his own will only harm him. Loose shoes will not help the tired muscles of the feet keep them in the correct position, and tight ones will disrupt blood circulation and the legs will not be able to recover normally after exercise. When trying on, it is necessary to take into account that the shoes have a reserve that does not interfere with the child’s walking - about 1.5 cm. In addition, it is not recommended for the child to wear someone else’s shoes, because worn-in shoes will incorrectly distribute the load on the feet.
Also, the cause of acquired flat feet can be improper load, which is distributed unevenly to different parts of the foot. Or too much weight, causing unnecessary stress on the legs.
From all of the above, one conclusion can be drawn: flat feet can appear in a healthy child, and the parents themselves can provoke it. Indeed, according to statistics, 80% of flat feet in children are static, that is, caused by excess weight, stress, or incorrect shoes.
In addition, there are other reasons for the development of flat feet . Most often, these are diseases that contribute to the development of muscle weakness (hypotonia) in the lower extremities. As a rule, these are various severe neurological diseases, as well as severe infections with complications.
It is important to know that a child’s foot is formed before the age of 5. The earlier flat feet are detected, the easier it is to treat. After five years of life, this is already more difficult to do. However, by starting treatment, you can improve the condition of the foot, stop the development of flat feet and prevent spinal deformities. A child who quickly gets tired of walking and asks to be held should be shown to an orthopedist.
Flat feet in children occur with longitudinal and transverse flattening of the arches of the feet. However, it is possible to talk about whether a child has flat feet only after his growth is complete. Until this moment, the child’s foot is just developing. Moreover, it is very important to know that the correct formation of the foot is influenced by the amount of load on it. That is, the less physical activity a child has, the more likely he is to develop flat feet. This issue is especially relevant for our time, in the age of high technology and universal computerization. More and more often, children prefer a computer and a mobile phone to playing outside and going for walks. Therefore, more and more often, flat feet in children can be found together with poor posture.
Symptoms of flat feet are a flattened, widened shape of the foot, fatigue and pain in the legs up to the hip when walking and running, in the evening there may be swelling of the foot, which goes away by the morning, the inside of the sole of the shoe quickly wears out. Children suffering from flat feet walk with their legs wide apart, bending their knees, thus making the foot wider. independently identify signs of flat feet in children at home. So, a child has flat feet if he:
- when walking, turns the toes of the foot outward - clubfoot. This phenomenon can be observed in the presence of valgus flatfoot in children. This may be due to the fact that the leg muscles are weak and the child cannot maintain the correct position of the foot. The correct position of the feet for a child is one in which they are parallel.
- when walking, steps on the inner edge of the foot. This gait is noticeable and clearly distinguishable.
You can also take a very simple test for flat feet at home. You need to moisten a cotton swab with paint and anoint the child’s feet, then place him on a clean sheet of paper. If all that remains is the imprint of the heel, the front part with the toes and the outline, then everything is in order. And if the entire foot or its middle part is visible, then this is flat feet. However, you should not do such experiments at an early age, since the fat pad causes a flat foot contour and the result will not be correct. In general, this is a good way to check how the treatment is going.
If you find at least one of the listed signs in your child, you should consult a doctor.
To form the arch of the foot, constant training is necessary, and barefoot walks are the best way to do this. Therefore, it is advisable that the child at least sometimes (when possible) walk barefoot on sand, grass, pebbles and other uneven surfaces - everything that forces his legs to constantly strain, transfer the weight of the body from one surface to another, from heel to toe. Moreover, even at home it is possible to recreate such surfaces. This can be successfully done at home using small cubes, balls, small non-sharp toys, peas, beans, beans - that is, any uneven floors. In this case, the child may be wearing thick socks, but not shoes (even with thin soles). These simple measures will help prevent flat feet in your child.
A healthy diet is also important for proper foot formation. It must be said that connective tissue is somewhat similar in composition to bone tissue. And that means she also suffers from rickets, that is, improper phosphorus-calcium metabolism in the body. As is known, with a lack of calcium, the bones become soft and deformed under the influence of weight and muscles, and the connective tissue of the foot ceases to be elastic and elastic and in the same way submits to the pressure of body weight. Thus, even if the child does not show signs of rickets, one should not forget about flat feet, as another consequence of calcium deficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a sufficient amount of phosphorus and calcium-rich foods in the child’s daily diet. Also, we must not forget about a sufficient amount of sunbathing or preventive intake of vitamin D in winter.
A professional instructor in exercise therapy and therapeutic swimming conducts individual and group classes in Baku. Tel.: (055)827-36-46; (050)451-74-17