With the development of flat feet, not only the lower limbs suffer, but also the vertebrae, bones, skull, and other diseases begin to develop.
There is an opinion among experts that it is possible to treat flat feet only by studying the causes of the disease, one of which is varicose veins.
If there is a suspicion of flat feet, then the first step is to compare the sensations with the symptoms of the disease presented below:
It should be noted that at the third stage of development of flat feet, the patient may experience pain not only in the legs, but also in the spinal region and head. Longitudinal curvature of the feet occurs in 80% of women.
There are cases when a combined type of foot deformity is diagnosed. Note that the symptoms of longitudinal and transverse flatfoot are somewhat different.
In 80% of cases when the pathology was diagnosed, the cause of its development was the poor development of muscle tissue and ligaments that needed constant training.
Muscles that do not receive enough exercise become weakened and unable to support the foot in an ideal position.
Along with this, too much stress on muscle tissue also contributes to the development of flat feet. The risk group of occupations includes sellers, cashiers, hairdressers, couriers, drivers and other specialists whose work involves heavy loads on their legs.
In only 3%, the pathology is congenital. The problem with timely detection is that children under 5 years old have a fatty layer that prevents the diagnosis of true flat feet. It often occurs due to congenital weakness of muscle and connective tissue.
One of the reasons for the development of flat feet is pregnancy.
Also, the reasons for the development of flat feet can be:
Qualified experts say that flat feet in themselves are not as dangerous as their consequences. Initially, they concern the distribution of the load on the foot and the entire musculoskeletal system, the formation of oxygen starvation (due to pinched muscles in the spine, pain in the back and head appears) up to fainting.
The visual consequences of the pathology are club feet, sloppy gait, curvature of posture, the formation of spurs and other diseases.
The consequences of flat feet are dangerous. The patient experiences fainting due to the load on the foot and the entire musculoskeletal system.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely get rid of the disease in adulthood. However, some treatments help prevent the progression and development of other diseases. Only surgical intervention can radically change the position of the arch, thereby temporarily improving the patient’s situation.
Timely diagnosis of the disease in children under 13 years of age can completely rid the child of the pathology through proper conservative treatment, without the use of surgery.
So, conservative treatment includes:
Foot massage helps prevent further development of flat feet.
Therapeutic foot massage can be performed either manually or using a special massager for flat feet. Flat feet can be treated through massage either at home or in a medical facility with a qualified massage therapist. There are several basic massage techniques that can treat flat feet from infancy to 13 years.
Daily massage for people suffering from flat feet will help treat the disease and stop its development at any stage.
In order to reduce swelling and pain, experts recommend doing a relaxing foot massage every evening, taking warm baths with sea salt or herbs.
Maximum effectiveness in the treatment of flat feet can be obtained only if the muscles are strengthened and blood flow disorders in the foot are corrected.
Modern simulators for flat feet provide the necessary load in the “right” places on the leg muscles.
Modern simulators for flat feet provide stress in the right places on the leg muscles, reflexogenic points that send appropriate impulses to the brain.
In order to effectively treat pathology, the device must have:
Using a physical training device daily, you can achieve complete correction of pathology in a child and prevention of disease in adults.
Another no less unique, but simple disease prevention device is the treadmill. There are several types of paths with uneven surfaces that provide prevention and treatment of the disease. When choosing such a device for your feet, it would be useful to pay attention to the presence of a heating system.
An equally unique, yet simple device for preventing flat feet is the treadmill.
Scientists have long used natural materials to treat various ailments. In this case, paraffin was no exception. Today, “paraffin feet” are considered one of the most effective types of massage. Paraffin provides the ability to quickly, painlessly and permanently restore the shape of the foot and get rid of the disease.
To treat pathology, paraffin is melted over a fire and cooled to a given temperature.
If there is a shortage of material in some medical institutions, paraffin can be diluted with natural resin ozokerite. Next, the finished paraffin is wrapped around the children's feet. Thus, paraffin visually resembles a boot.
Paraffin softens children's joints and makes it possible to painlessly correct the position of the arch. The penetration of resin into the bloodstream helps improve blood flow.
To treat flat feet, paraffin is melted over a fire and cooled to a given temperature.
With light massage movements, the massage therapist or the child’s mother can perform pinching, stroking, and rubbing the muscles from the foot to the knee. It should be noted that only a doctor can prescribe paraffin, since using it yourself can lead to serious consequences.
Contraindications to the procedure:
Flat feet can be treated with paraffin if there are no chronic heart diseases.
You can purchase paraffin only in specialized medical equipment stores.
Treatment of flat feet may be more effective if an electrophoresis apparatus is used. It promotes the fastest and most painless outward rotation of the foot and the absorption of the drugs used.
It should be noted that the electrophoresis apparatus can only be used as an additional treatment or preventive measure.
For prevention, an electrophoresis apparatus can be used once every 3-4 months. In addition, the child may be prescribed medications containing calcium.
Remember, flat feet are a chronic disease if precious time has been lost! Take care of your children!
WE HEAL FLAT FOOT professionally WITH A DOCTOR in 10 minutes a day!
Prevention and treatment of flat feet. Bubnovsky.
Flat feet in teenagers in the modern world is a serious problem that should not be underestimated. As a result of the anatomical features of the body's structure, the legs experience enormous stress. If the arch of the foot is not formed correctly, natural shock absorption is disrupted and the functionality of the entire ligamentous apparatus and bones is impaired.
Correcting the situation (in whole or in part) is possible only at an early age, as well as in adolescents, when the foot has not fully formed. Treatment of flat feet in adolescents should begin immediately after pathological changes are identified.
Flat feet are accompanied by an unstable, heavy, awkward and swaying gait; even comfortable shoes do not alleviate the negative sensations.
Severe flat feet may cause pain in the lower back, hips and knees. Visually, the foot looks flattened.
It is quite possible to differentiate the primary symptoms visually:
However, despite the presence of characteristic signs, similar symptoms are possible with some other diseases, for example, varicose veins, which requires mandatory diagnosis and examination by an orthopedist.
The development of flat feet in adolescents is especially dangerous. Due to the shift of body weight backwards, children involuntarily lean forward when walking to maintain balance. In this case, the spine takes the most comfortable position, arching, which can lead to the appearance of intervertebral hernias, scoliosis and pinched nerve endings.
Incorrect distribution of loads on the foot and insufficient shock absorption can cause irreversible pathological processes in the joints of the lower extremities. Therefore, treatment should begin as soon as the first signs of flat feet are identified.
Types of flat feet are divided according to characteristic deformative changes and the reasons for their occurrence.
There are 2 forms of the disease:
In addition to these types of diseases, there are also:
This shape is characterized by a narrowing of the space between the plane on which the foot stands and its inner part. In addition, the boundary of the arch of the longitudinal arch of the feet is erased, thereby providing shock absorption.
Longitudinal flattening of the foot
With this form of foot change, the front of the foot is wide and flat, and the metatarsal bones may diverge with the 3rd and 2nd toes deviating outward, resembling a hammer shape. It is characteristic that one finger can rise above the rest.
Transverse flattening of the foot
This form of the disease combines two types of flatfoot (transverse and longitudinal) and is the most severe.
Before deciding on medical intervention and the use of physiotherapeutic measures, a mandatory consultation with an orthopedist is recommended, who will prescribe a number of necessary examinations to determine the complexity of the development of pathological changes in the foot in a teenager. Diagnosis of the disease is based on a visual examination of the patient by a doctor and on the result of an x-ray of the feet, after which a final diagnosis is established.
Symptoms and treatment directly depend on the severity of flatfoot development:
Comparative characteristics of the degrees of flat feet on the plantogram
The question of how to treat flat feet in adolescents is decided on the basis of research. It is extremely important to seek help from a specialist at an early stage of the development of symptoms, because even surgical surgery cannot guarantee complete restoration of the functionality of the feet.
There is a possibility of getting rid of flat feet in adolescence with the help of complex therapy, which provides for achieving a positive result.
Therapy has the following goals:
It is important to consider that treatment is aimed at stopping the progression of pathological changes in the joints and improving the patient’s quality of life. With adequate and timely treatment in adolescents, it is possible to stop the process at an early stage, which will avoid irreversible consequences in the body.
Therapeutic measures include a set of various techniques used to correct the disease.
The complex includes:
Medications for the development of flat feet are recommended for use only in the second and third stages of the disease, when there is obvious pain and swelling of the legs. To relieve pain, Analgin, Nurofen, Ortofen, Ibuprofen, etc. are prescribed.
To neutralize edema, local agents are prescribed that have a positive effect on the veins (Troxevasin, Troxerutin, etc.). In addition, they contain heparin, which thins the blood and increases blood flow. As a rule, adolescents tolerate these medications well, but consultation with a doctor is required.
Treatment of 2nd degree flat feet involves taking medications that directly affect the causes of the disease. In other words, for rickets, taking vitamin D is recommended; for the symptom of “paralytic foot,” relaxants are prescribed.
If there are obvious symptoms of rheumatism, as well as a bacterial infection joining the inflammatory process, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed, which, of course, cannot cure flat feet, but are effective for inflammatory diseases.
Massage techniques are used at all stages of teenage flat feet. The exercises are performed independently using hands or improvised devices (massage balls, rollers, paths). Massaging the foot helps increase blood circulation in the extremities and improve muscle tone.
Massage technique
When massage, you need to take into account the innervation in the lower extremities, starting from the spinal column. Therefore, when performing the procedure, it is necessary to massage not only the area of the feet, but also the back, gradually moving to the front and back of the thigh, and then to the lower leg and foot.
Massaging the foot can be done using any available means.
There are several massage techniques, but the most commonly used methods are:
Important! A contraindication to massage is varicose veins, as there is a possibility of developing such a dangerous complication as vein thrombosis.
An effective effect is the use of special insoles that can anatomically support the foot, improve blood circulation, and significantly reduce the load on the spinal column and joints.
In addition, orthopedic insoles improve the overall well-being of a teenager and stabilize stability when walking.
The insoles can be inserted into any shoes and even into house slippers. When not wearing them, you should walk barefoot.
Physical therapy exercises are indicated for all forms of flat feet, but their implementation must be supervised by an instructor.
Exercise therapy complex for teenagers:
Technique for performing exercise therapy
In addition, it is recommended to carry out exercises using ropes, bars and other gymnastic equipment for walking.
In the absence of a positive effect from all therapeutic measures and an increase in symptoms, a decision is made on surgical intervention. Direct indications for surgery are persistent pain and increasing symptoms of arthrosis. In this case, the position of the bones in the foot area, as well as on its articular surface, is corrected.
Surgery to correct flat feet is performed only if conservative treatment is ineffective
Doctors rarely resort to surgical intervention both among adolescents and adult patients when all other treatment methods have proven ineffective.
Of great importance in preventing the occurrence of flat feet in adolescence and childhood is the prevention of the disease, which is carried out through the following measures:
The selection of shoes deserves special attention. It should be made of natural materials that promote good air exchange.
It is necessary to take into account that children are characterized by flattening of the foot, due to its specific structure, and in order for it to develop correctly in the future, it is important to promptly seek help from an orthopedist at the first manifestations of flat feet, when it can still be corrected, avoiding serious consequences.
The danger of the disease lies in the possibility of developing pathological changes in the spine, with subsequent disruption of the functionality of the entire body. Regular preventive examinations are recommended, especially after identifying flattened feet.