Treatment of flat feet primarily involves strengthening those muscles that support the arch of the foot. There are various options for this that you can use at home:
1) Strengthening the body . The natural contact of the foot with the ground provides massage of many active points located on the surface of the foot. As a result, not only the muscles of the foot are strengthened, but also the entire body as a whole. It is especially useful to walk barefoot on sand or pebbles, on uneven ground surfaces (hillocks), and also on logs. Swimming also applies to this type of strengthening of the foot muscles, especially the use of the crawl style. Rowing with the foot, which is actively used in this type of swimming, also helps strengthen the muscles of the foot.
2) Physical exercise is undoubtedly useful in the treatment of flat feet. However, it should be remembered that with severe clinical manifestations of the disease (such as pain and swelling), some physical exercises cause unbearable stress on the feet. In this case, it is necessary to avoid sports exercises such as cross-country skating and cross-country skiing. Light exercise will be useful in any case, as it helps strengthen the body.
3) Gymnastics . In addition to playing sports, you need to accustom yourself to doing a set of exercises every day, and you need to do them not once, but at least 2-3 times a day. We present you a list of such exercises; they must be performed barefoot, each 8-12 times.
4) Treatment of flat feet at home must necessarily include massage . It improves blood circulation and tones the muscles that support the arch of the foot. To treat flat feet, massage the lower leg (along the back inner side in the direction from the bones to the foot) and the foot itself (from the heel to the toe bones). Massage should be done using kneading, rubbing and stroking. You can find out more about this method in the article “Massage for flat feet”
5) Developing the correct gait . When walking, try to place your feet parallel to each other, resting on the outer edge of the foot. Initially, such control of your own gait will be difficult, but if you wish, you can strengthen such a gait and bring it to automaticity.
These are the main ways to treat flat feet at home. You can get information about methods of treating this disease in medical institutions in the article “Treatment of flat feet in children and adults.”
Flat feet occur in 55-60% of children under the age of 6-7 years, and in recent years the incidence of this problem has only been increasing. Many parents discover flat feet in their children completely by accident, during a routine examination. A “correct” foot is formed in a child by the age of 5-6, and only at this age can you say for sure whether your child has problems with his feet. Why should treatment of flat feet in children be carried out on time and without fail?
Flat feet can be congenital or acquired, but the first form of the disease is extremely rare. The danger is posed by an increase in the acquired form of the disease, since many simply do not pay attention to this problem in time. The trend towards an increase in the incidence of this problem in children has arisen due to various reasons.
Factors that provoke the appearance of flat feet:
Only a few parents realize how dangerous it is for a child to have flat feet. The erroneous belief that this disease will “go away on its own” and the misconception that it does not affect health often lead to the most tragic consequences. The structure of the foot and the presence of two physiological arches helps a person absorb the load that falls on the entire musculoskeletal system. If the arches of the foot become flattened, then it can no longer function as a “spring,” and when moving, all the impact falls on the other joints of the legs. Of all the types of flatfoot in children, longitudinal is the most common, while transverse and combined are much less common.
At different ages in children, a healthy foot looks like the one shown in the figure.
Changing the functions of the foot at an early age and redistributing the load can cascade to cause the following pathological conditions:
In addition, redistribution of the load can change the central position of the heel, causing the following common symptoms of flat feet:
The good news is that this disease in children can be easily corrected, provided that the problem is identified at an age when the foot can still be formed. How to cure flat feet in a child if you notice deformation of the baby’s foot?
The main condition for obtaining the result is his age. If you have time to carry out a number of therapeutic measures before the age of 12-13, then you can hope that the treatment will be very effective. Conversely, late visits to the doctor and untimely treatment can be costly for you and your teenager. The fact is that the consequences of flat feet (scoliosis, intervertebral hernias and hallux valgus) in an adult are diseases that are difficult to treat and sometimes require surgical intervention.
In Russian cities there are specialized orthopedic kindergartens.
Many orthopedists confidently state that treatment of this problem in children should begin with eliminating the factors that caused the foot deformity. That is, in other words, before correcting flat feet in a child using conservative methods, it is necessary to eliminate all the causes that caused the disease.
Many parents are interested in how to treat flat feet in children? Are conservative methods of therapy sufficient, and in what cases are surgical techniques used? If the diagnosis is made on time, then, as a rule, conservative measures are sufficient. The optimal age for rapid correction of deformity in children is up to 6-7 years of age, when the problem can be completely eliminated.
Conservative methods of treating this disease include the following:
A set of exercises for the prevention and treatment of flat feet.
Physical therapy for flat feet in children and conservative methods of therapy have their own characteristics.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the best treatment for flat feet in children is its prevention. Before buying shoes, consult your doctor and do not buy shoes that are narrow or have high heels.
Finding an intelligent doctor (especially for children) to treat flat feet is very difficult. But if you find a doctor who understands all this, then believe me, the result will not be long in coming.
The pediatric orthopedist advised me to let the child walk barefoot on all sorts of pebbles, sand on uneven surfaces - that’s what my wife and I did, we sent the child to the village in the summer - then we came to the doctor in the fall, so there was no such severe flat feet, and the child was much healthier.
I agree with Vitaly, a good doctor, especially for children, is a great rarity. This is how you learn through the Internet in order to prevent, and not to treat.
Useful information about choosing children's orthopedic shoes, otherwise you rely on the seller's recommendations, but you yourself don't have the slightest idea what orthopedic shoes look like.
A friend’s child was diagnosed with flat feet - she had a headache on how to help the child in this case. Fortunately, they found a competent doctor and now the child wears special shoes, and at home they do special exercises every morning and evening, and they also take him for massages.
To prevent childhood flat feet, my dad and I made a training mat with our own hands. It is not large in size (70cmX100cm). Old jeans can also serve as a basis. And then, all that is not a pity, the main thing is that these are light convex parts. Ours has a plastic grate for the sink, and my mother’s old hair curlers, and pebbles, and wheels from machines of different diameters, and foam sponges. We walk along it cheerfully, with the whole family. For the child it is both fun and massage at the same time.
Fortunately for me, the child’s flat feet were discovered before he was one year old; my son had not yet walked, and I mean that this is congenital in us, I would even say hereditary, since I also have flat feet. As part of the treatment, we were prescribed a massage and a massage mat, wearing special orthopedic shoes, and not overloading the legs. I hope everything works out for us.
Personally, I massage my daughter every day since birth, and after 2 years 2-3 times a week, massage her whole body, including her feet, and therefore everything is fine with her legs and back. The feet especially require massage because the child grows quickly and if you miss the beginning of any deviations, then problems are inevitable.
As a child, I had flat feet, my parents were told at the hospital to do a special massage, and also various exercises with a ball and all sorts of things like in the picture in the article, which I completely refused to do. They also ordered orthopedic insoles for me. Walking was terribly uncomfortable, at first they They put a lot of pressure, perhaps also because shoes for such insoles need a larger size, preferably. But in the end it seems to me that they were the ones who helped me.
My sister had flat feet, I can honestly say, the problem is not a pleasant one, not to mention the fact that aesthetically it looks terrible - for example, her gait and shoes worn down to one side. We tried a lot of things, in the end we settled on regular gymnastics, and after three months we saw the results. Now my sister feels much better.
My niece had flat feet at an early age. We spent so much nerve and effort to cure her. But now she is completely healthy. She performed special gymnastics. I took contrasting foot baths. They gave her a therapeutic massage for her feet and she wore only orthopedic shoes.
To prevent a child from having flat feet, special foot exercises must be done from birth. Its principle is this: with your thumb, make circular movements along the edges of the foot, slightly pressing at the indentation site. I do this massage every day after bathing the child. This exercise will bring a lot of positive emotions to the child and is a good prevention against flat feet.
In childhood, this problem needs to be dealt with as early as possible. Our doctor said that the child has a disorder in the formation of the foot, and if measures are not taken, flat feet may develop. We were recommended to buy orthopedic insoles or shoes, use a massage mat for the foot, and take a massage course
Flat feet is a drooping arch of the foot, which is dangerous to human health. However, you can get rid of this problem if you know traditional methods of struggle. They help return the foot to its natural shape.
The disease is associated with deformation of the arch of the foot. In a normal state, when a person steps on his foot, only the lateral (outward facing) part of the foot touches the floor. This position is ensured by two arches: longitudinal and transverse. The disease occurs when one or both of the arches prolapse. In this case, the angle at which the foot is above the ground changes depending on the degree of curvature.
Often flat feet are combined with other foot deformities.
Many people are trying to figure out why the disease is dangerous, because at first glance, flat feet are quite harmless. However, not all so simple. In a healthy state, the main load of the body falls on the legs, and in pathology, the load is redistributed. In such a situation, the spinal column is the first to suffer. During the redistribution of weight pressure, almost all the bones of the body suffer, and destructive changes can begin in them, for example, arthrosis (damage to cartilage tissue, resulting in joint dystrophy).
The cause of the disease is narrow shoes
Before treating flat feet, it is important to find out what causes them.
The disease usually begins in childhood
The types of pathology depend on which arch of the foot is deformed.
Deformation is also classified according to the reasons due to which it appears. Among them:
In addition to the types of flat feet, there are also their degrees. The latter indicate the severity of the disease.
Longitudinal flatfoot of the 2nd degree with arthrosis of the 1st degree and longitudinal flatfoot of the 1st degree with arthrosis of the 2nd degree often occur. Such complicated foot deformities are very serious, and if a young man has even one of them, he becomes unfit for military service. That is, the compatibility of flat feet and the army depends on the degree of the disease.
Constant, increasing pain in the foot is the first sign of the disease
Arch deformation can occur in almost anyone. Before trying to cure flat feet, it is necessary to identify the causes of its occurrence. There are signs of flat feet that every person should be aware of. They will help detect the disease in the early stages of development, preventing all possible complications.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to determine flat feet in preschool children. However, you should be wary if your child constantly complains that it hurts to step on him or that his feet often hurt.
Diagnosis of flat feet is quite simple, and anyone can identify it. But to be sure, you should still resort to x-rays, and give the resulting image to the doctor. Only he can see pathological changes on it.
Massage is mandatory when treating foot deformities
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the deformity can begin to be treated. Treating flat feet at home gives good results, because it is convenient and no less effective. Treatment of flat feet in adults and children is absolutely the same.
These measures can cure flat feet in both adults and children.
Pay close attention to the health of your feet and your children’s.
Prevention of flat feet is quite simple:
Prevention of flat feet in children is the same as in adults, but one more thing is added to this: you need to make sure that the child does not have foot injuries. Not all children run headlong to their parents when they get hurt. Some, out of fear, prefer not to tell their moms and dads anything. Therefore, it is extremely important to take an interest in your child: does he limp, does he have bruises on his feet, etc.
Flat feet are the smoothing of the natural plantar concavities (arches) of the foot - longitudinal and transverse. Flat feet are not only an aesthetic problem due to foot deformation, but also physically impair the quality of life, accompanied by swelling, pain, cramps, and increased fatigue of the legs.
Due to the loss of the shock-absorbing function of the foot, the load on the joints of the legs and spine increases significantly, which leads to their premature deterioration. Treatment started in the early stages helps reduce the risk of complications. How to treat flat feet will be outlined below.
In children under seven years of age, congenital or rachitic flatfoot can be completely cured using a complex of conservative methods, especially if treatment is started early - from two to four years of age.
In adolescence, conservative methods do not completely cure flat feet, but constant wearing of arch supports and regular therapeutic exercises can significantly slow down or even stop the process of foot deformation. To achieve better results, your doctor may recommend surgical treatment. Surgeries at this age are effective and low-traumatic, after which you can walk without crutches almost immediately.
For adults, conservative treatment helps them feel more comfortable and can, to one degree or another, slow down the drop of the arch of the foot and the associated deformity. In adulthood, it is impossible to get by with low-traumatic surgical interventions that are effective in adolescents. Surgical treatment involves long-term fixation of the foot with a cast and the use of crutches.
The effectiveness of treatment of acquired forms of flatfoot directly depends on the effectiveness of treatment of the underlying disease. Thus, with diabetic polyneutropathy, flat feet most likely will not progress when a stable low blood sugar level is achieved.
It is impossible not only to cure flat feet with medications, but to even minimally influence the progression of the process. Therefore, tablets are prescribed only in case of severe pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually prescribed to relieve pain.
Good results in the treatment of flat feet in people of any age are provided by orthopedic insoles-instep supports, individually made for each foot, taking into account all anatomical features.
Such insoles are usually made of plastic, which is flexible when heated, but becomes rigid when the temperature drops. To make an insole for the foot, the material is heated with a hairdryer, after which it is brought under the foot to obtain a kind of cast. Before making the instep support, the arch of the foot is raised using a tape, and to form a transverse arch, a special pad is placed under the insole blank.
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Such instep supports can be made for shoes without heels or with heels.
Wearing orthopedic insoles can completely cure flat feet in children under seven years of age if treatment begins at two to three years of age. Children need to change arch supports quite often in accordance with the growth of their feet.
In adolescents and adults, wearing insoles makes walking more comfortable and slows or stops the progression of the disease. At first, the instep supports may seem uncomfortable to wear, but as you get used to them, a feeling of comfort sets in.
Physiotherapy, especially in combination with the use of insoles and arch supports, gives a good therapeutic effect.
The following methods are used to treat flat feet:
Physiotherapy is aimed at strengthening the muscular-ligamentous apparatus of the arch of the foot and relieving pain.
Of the hardware methods, myoelectric stimulation of the tibialis anterior muscle, amplympulse therapy, ultrasound treatment, chondroxide phonophoresis, and electrophoresis with therapeutic mud are most often used.
Massage - manual kneading of the feet and legs - is carried out by a specialist.
Spa treatment includes mud applications in the form of “socks” or “socks”. Dirt can be replaced with paraffin or ozokerite. To relieve pain, whirlpool foot baths are indicated.
Regular exercise is perhaps the most effective treatment for flat feet.
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Gymnastic exercises include sliding and rolling movements of the foot, tucking the toes. You can get young children interested in gymnastics by offering them unusual options: picking up toys and small objects from the floor with their toes, or standing on a medium-sized ball for a while, maintaining their balance (with adult support).
Below are examples of exercises that should be performed daily.
Among the folk methods, walking on various surfaces in nature is especially effective. The only disadvantage is that such treatment can only be carried out in the warm season.
It is best to walk barefoot on warm sand or pine needles.
You can also use a log for medicinal purposes - you need to stand on it so that your heel is on one side and your toe is on the other, and move sideways from end to end.
For longitudinal and transverse flatfoot, various surgical interventions are provided. The operation is usually performed for high degrees of flat feet of any type, when conservative methods do not bring relief.
The operation is performed on persons aged ten to thirty years who suffer from longitudinal flat feet. The essence of the surgical intervention is to correct the arch of the foot using a titanium implant, which is installed between the talus and heel bones. The implant fixes the talus bone, depriving it of excessive mobility, which provides support for the longitudinal arch of the foot.
The operation lasts about half an hour and requires a 24-hour hospital stay. The stitches are removed after two weeks.
Such an intervention can be performed on both feet at the same time, since after the operation you can walk immediately without crutches and a plaster cast is not required. Sports exercises can be done three months after the intervention.
This type of operation is optimal for people aged ten to twenty years with moderately severe flat feet.
People over twenty years of age, as well as teenagers with severe flat feet, undergo tendon plastic surgery along with implant installation. After such an operation, you will need to wear a cast for one and a half months. During this period, you cannot lean on your foot; you must use crutches, so simultaneous treatment of both feet cannot be performed. It is recommended to operate on the second foot no earlier than a year later.
After some time, the implant must be removed. Adults require such surgery on average one and a half years after installation. In children, the implant is removed when they reach seventeen or eighteen years of age.
After removal of the implant, the foot retains its corrected shape.
For patients over thirty years of age, arthrodesis is performed - fixation of joints using the method of “fusion”. Such operations are traumatic and do not completely eliminate the deformity.
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Smoothing of the transverse arch of the foot leads to flattening of its front part, curvature of the big toe and protrusion of its joint outward - the formation of the so-called “bone”, which causes a lot of suffering to its owners (this deformation is most often observed in women).
If earlier the treatment of this condition consisted of partial or complete removal of this “bone” while maintaining the deformity of the foot, now low-traumatic operations on the ligaments and muscles are performed to correct the transverse arch and “put in place” the metatarsal bone.
Such operations are most often performed under local anesthesia and last about an hour. The patient stays in the hospital from several hours to a day. You can lean on your leg on the first day after surgery, provided that the load is reduced. These restrictions are lifted after a week, and after another week the stitches are removed. Three weeks after the intervention, foot function is fully restored. After the operation, you are prescribed to wear orthopedic insoles for six months. After such treatment, the likelihood of relapse is extremely low.
Any treatment should be carried out on the recommendation of a doctor. Self-medication can worsen foot deformity. You should not abuse painkillers, they can cause serious complications from the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.
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