Flatfoot is a deformation of the foot, which results in changes in its longitudinal or transverse arch . It is difficult to notice the onset of deformation, since up to 7-9 months there is no stress on the child’s foot, and until 2-3 years the fat layer of the foot plays the role of a shock absorber . By the age of 5-6 years, the arch of the foot completes its formation and then it is possible to understand whether there are any deviations. However, the onset of the disease can be detected at any age. If a child often complains of leg pain and fatigue, his shoes become deformed, and his heels wear out on the inside, you should be concerned.
Unfortunately, many parents do not attach importance to this; some do not consider flat feet a disease at all. Meanwhile, doctors are increasingly diagnosing it in children. Statistics indicate that already 65% of preschool children have flat feet , and during the school years their number increases.
If the problem is left without proper attention from parents and specialists, in the future the child may develop serious disorders of the spine and joints, which leads to pain in the head, back, and legs. In other words, flat feet may well lead to loss of health !
Photo: You can determine flat feet yourself
A child over five years old must be examined by an orthopedist. Only a competent specialist will make the right conclusions. The fact is that this disease is not as simple as it seems.
Treatment, as with any other ailment, must begin by identifying the causes of its occurrence. Flat feet can be either congenital or acquired .
The second version of the disease is divided into paralytic, rachitic, traumatic and static .
Congenital flatfoot is rare, and it can be caused by abnormalities in intrauterine development. As treatment, the newborn is given splints, plaster casts, massage and therapeutic exercises, and later orthopedic shoes are selected.
Photo: Types of flat feet
Paralytic flatfoot in children, treatment of which should also begin in a timely manner, occurs as a result of paralysis of the leg muscles, which are unable to fix the foot in the desired shape. It can develop against the background of polio and cerebral palsy.
Treatment is prescribed in the form of orthopedic shoes, special massage, physiotherapy, and a course of treatment with mineral waters. Complex cases require surgical correction of muscles and tendons.
Rickets flatfoot in children occurs when the bones become softer and the muscles and ligaments weaken. The load seems to flatten the foot. Treatment in such cases involves the appointment of vitamins (especially D), massage, therapeutic exercises, and orthopedic shoes.
Photo: Rachitic flatfoot
Traumatic flatfoot in children, which should be treated by a competent orthopedist, develops after fractures of the foot, ankle, metatarsus, and damage to the ligaments of the foot. Treatment is selected depending on the degree of deformation. Physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage are prescribed, and orthopedic shoes are selected. In particularly difficult situations, surgical assistance is indicated.
Static flatfoot is the most common type of disease. It can be caused by excess body weight, improperly selected shoes, hereditary ligament weakness, excessive stress on the musculoskeletal system, and improper gait. Treatment is, first of all, eliminating the causes: weight loss, choosing the right shoes, strengthening ligaments, dosing loads, correcting gait; massage and constant exercise.
Photo: Static flat feet
Among the effective exercises aimed at combating a dangerous “enemy”, the following can be noted:
- alternate walking on toes, heels, inner and outer surfaces of the feet;
- rolling and throwing the ball with your feet;
- lifting small objects from the floor with your toes;
- crumpling and tearing newspaper with toes;
- bending and spreading the toes;
- rolling the rope with your feet from toes to heels;
- walking barefoot on rough fabric, sand, small pebbles.
Photo: Useful exercises for flat feet
You need to do the exercises every day for 10-15 minutes. And to make this process as effective and interesting as possible for the child, you can buy or make a “health path” with your own hands: sew thick fabric or oilcloth in sections of 8-10 cm and fill them alternately: chestnuts, peas, beans, acorns. You can make a “ribbed mat” by sewing gymnastic sticks into it. Children can happily walk on such paths and rugs for a long time without reminders, especially if they themselves took part in their manufacture.
It is difficult for many parents to conduct classes with their child on their own, but since treatment requires regularity, you can ask the exercise therapy instructor to make a video recording of special exercises and the child will be able to do them independently every day, improving and improvising.
Any disease must be treated comprehensively. Proper nutrition, rational physical activity, hardening in combination with treatment will significantly speed up recovery. And remember that if flat feet are detected in children, treatment cannot be postponed until later!
Treating a pathology such as flat feet is difficult and comes down to the use of two main methods, which consist of conservative and surgical, which can take several years. It all comes down to strengthening the muscles and ligaments of the foot, the weakening of which is the main cause of flat feet not only in children. It is impossible to completely get rid of the disease, especially with age, but it is simply necessary to slow down the progress of the disease, regardless of the number of years, thereby reducing the negative impact on the spine, especially in children. Treatment of flat feet, both in older people and in children, begins with conservative methods, which can be used until the process has reached the third stage, then the treatment will be ineffective. Treatment can also be done at home, using therapeutic exercises, massage, and also properly selected therapeutic or orthopedic shoes that have special insoles. If the disease has reached the third stage, then conservative treatment is not possible, regardless of age. The only hope left is for the surgeon’s scalpel, who is able to solve the problem and provide radical treatment. The doctor performing the treatment will trim the ligaments, correct the position of the big toe, and strengthen the longitudinal arch of the foot. But you can do without this if you use special shoes as treatment.
Orthopedic doctors use conservative treatment in both children and adults:
These measures are aimed not so much at treating (eliminating) flat feet, but at preventing the progression of the disease and reducing the pain that arises from a deformed foot. In children this is not so pronounced, but as they grow, the pathology will worsen regardless of the number of years, and only treatment will help.
The objectives of exercise therapy come down to strengthening the ligaments, but also, accordingly, to strengthening the result of surgical treatment and preventing further development of flat feet. Classes, as a treatment, are carried out every day for 10 to 15 minutes, it is best to perform the exercises several times throughout the day, and the exercises themselves can be performed for many years. This treatment of flat feet in children and adults is effective; it leads to strengthening of the lower leg muscles and strengthening of the arch. A medical gymnastics complex has been developed that can be performed at home for children to treat or prevent flat feet. Before the exercise, you should take off your shoes and completely free your feet; without this, the treatment will be ineffective. There are techniques that are best performed on the floor, lying down or sitting. So, while sitting on the floor, you need to tightly connect your straightened legs; you should do this so that your heels and knees touch each other. Next, you need to ask the child or teenager to straighten the foot of his left leg as much as possible and, at the same time, try to bring the front surface of the right under the plantar surface of the left. The exercise should be repeated, changing legs in turn. When performing the next exercise, the starting position remains the same. The child, or if the lesson is carried out in a room with a group of children with flat feet, is asked to bend his right leg, stroke his left shin, the plantar surface of his right foot, especially focusing his attention on the inner surface. When treating flat feet in teenagers or children, it is important to take into account that, unlike older ones, the restoration of the arch will occur in full, it all depends on the number of years, the fewer there are, the easier it is to do. Treatment can be achieved in children due to the fact that the child’s foot is just developing and can be corrected. An adult has a fully formed skeleton; it is extremely difficult to influence it, just as it is then to treat flat feet itself.
People of the older generation should be treated for a disease such as flat feet immediately after the diagnosis is made. This is due to the fact that it is necessary to stop the deformation and at the same time create conditions for subsequent treatment. The measures are aimed at two factors, the first is to eliminate the pain syndrome that often accompanies flat feet, the second is to strengthen the muscles and ligaments. Medicines and, of course, physiotherapeutic procedures will help cope with the pain; they are also used as treatment. They can be performed both in a clinic and in a sanatorium, where electrophoresis, phonophoresis or magnetic therapy in combination with massage will be selected in optimal proportions, which will allow the most effective treatment of a disease such as flat feet. Gymnastics, which is selected by the orthopedist individually depending on the condition of the body and the stage of the disease, will undoubtedly help treat flat feet.
Sometimes treatment takes many years before the result is noticeable, this is the insidiousness of such a disease as flat feet.
Warm foot baths and hydromassage provide good treatment. For the purpose of treatment, orthopedic shoes with orthopedic insoles are widely practiced, which promote uniform weight distribution and have good shock absorption for the child. For the same purpose, they practice a mat with which you can treat flat feet and relieve pain.
The surgeon is not able to strengthen the ligaments or muscles and thereby completely correct flat feet. But at the moment, many methods have been developed that are used to treat (correct) flat feet, but none of them guarantee complete relief from the disease. It is easiest to correct congenital flat feet, especially at the age of about two years. In this case, splints are used as a method of treatment, correcting plaster casts, as well as medical shoes to correct flat feet.
You should not let your child walk on a hard floor, and put shoes on his feet before going, then he will not be at risk of flat feet. It is not necessary to wear shoes on the child's feet only when walking on uneven surfaces such as sand, gravel or grass, all this will only help strengthen the children's feet, and this can also be used as a treatment. The child’s walking is important; during it, in order for the flat feet of children, regardless of the number of years, to be parallel, the support is on the outer edge. A factor that helps eliminate flat feet is also considered temporary; the less time has passed since diagnosis, the better, regardless of the number of years. In the older generation, it is difficult to treat flat feet and in many cases the entire treatment process comes down to eliminating pain. In children, as a matter of fact, and in adults, specially made, selected shoes are used as a treatment method to eliminate flat feet.
Irina, 28 years old, St. Petersburg My son has flat feet, he is 12 years old. The doctors prescribed a massage and also wearing orthopedic boots. There are no problems with massage, going to it is not a problem, but getting him to wear shoes is a whole problem. But even during the period that we are undergoing treatment, there is already a result.
The foot of a child who can already walk begins to bear the load when walking, standing, jumping and running. The ease and smoothness of a child’s walking depends on how correctly the bones of the foot, tendons and muscles on the legs are formed.
In children under 3 years of age, the process of formation of the bones of the foot has not yet ended, so flat feet in children under 3-5 years of age without signs of heel deviation outward is considered a physiological norm and their parents should not worry about this. A child's foot deformity or flat feet should concern parents of children over 5 years of age.
Flat feet are not only a cosmetic defect, but a progressive disease of the musculoskeletal system, manifested in a decrease in the height of the arches of the feet, and in some cases, outward deviation of the foot. The earlier treatment for flat feet in a child is started, the more effective the treatment results. Advanced cases of flat feet in children can only be corrected by surgery.
Many parents do not realize the seriousness of flat feet in a child if it is not severe. After all, it is not noticeable from the outside and small children rarely complain of pain when walking. However, flat feet in a child cannot be ignored; over time, it can lead to severe deformation of the foot, which in turn can cause the development of arthrosis, osteochondrosis, radiculitis, vertebral hernia, poor posture, heel spurs and calluses on the feet.
Already in adolescence, children with flat feet experience flattening of the transverse arch of the foot with subluxation of the big toe outward. In all children with foot deformities, the legs get tired faster, since due to a violation of the “spring” function of the foot and the lack of shock absorption, the entire load falls on the lower legs and hip joint.
Flat feet often cause a curvature of the spine and constant back pain, which prevent a person from living a full life. The most advanced stages of flat feet pose a health threat with club feet and lameness. Everyone knows that a large number of biologically active points are concentrated on the feet, and violation of their position in case of flat feet can lead to the development of various diseases in children.
Based on anatomical characteristics, orthopedists diagnose longitudinal, transverse or mixed flatfoot. With longitudinal flatfoot, the entire area of the child’s sole is in full contact with the floor, and with transverse flatfoot, the forefoot diverges in a fan-shaped manner. In children, longitudinal flatfoot is most common, which can be congenital or acquired. The congenital form of flatfoot is a consequence of intrauterine developmental pathologies or hereditary predisposition of the child.
Most often, congenital flatfoot is already detected in the maternity hospital by the “turned” outward forefoot and a strongly convex sole. Treatment of congenital flat feet should begin immediately, gradually correcting the foot deformity using plaster casts. Acquired flatfoot can be traumatic, paralytic, static and rachitic.
Most often, children experience a static form of flatfoot, which develops due to overload on the foot when wearing uncomfortable and narrow shoes, endocrine disorders in the body, obesity and regular wearing of weights. Paralytic flatfoot is a consequence of paralysis of the muscles of the foot and leg, it is mainly observed in children with polio and cerebral palsy.
Rachitic flatfoot develops in children with rickets or weakened due to a lack of vitamins. The cause of its manifestation may also be congenital pathologies. Fractures of the bones of the foot, leg and other parts of the lower limb in children can contribute to flattening of the arches of the feet and lead to traumatic flat feet.
If you have doubts about the correct shape of your child , then just put him on a sheet of paper with wet bare feet and trace the footprint with a pencil. A normal foot print of a child over 5 years of age has an indentation on the inside of the sole, but a flat foot imprint does not have this indentation. If you have any doubts when examining the print, you should consult an orthopedic doctor for advice and treatment. You shouldn’t count on a quick correction of flat feet even in young children.
Only a conscientious attitude to treatment and regular implementation of all doctor’s recommendations gives positive results. Flat feet in children in the initial stages of the disease can be corrected within two months by using manual massage, therapeutic exercises and foot baths with sea salt. Massage and exercises must be carried out only under the supervision of a therapeutic exercise instructor.
Self-massage at home can be carried out using special mats , balls, ladders and rollers. In the treatment of flat feet, a good effect is achieved through physiotherapeutic procedures: electrophoresis, paraffin-ozokerite applications and manual therapy. Also, children who have flat feet are recommended to wear special shoes with flexible soles, hard backs and low heels. The insole and instep supports of these shoes should be selected after consultation with an orthopedic doctor.
Flat feet is a very common problem; it is a disease in the form of deformities of the foot, which causes drooping of its longitudinal or transverse arches. In some cases, both of these arches are omitted. And their importance for the entire musculoskeletal system should not be underestimated - they are considered a “shock-absorbing” system of the human body, preventing excessive stress on the spine that occurs when running and walking.
You can tell about the development of flat feet by the way your shoes wear out. With flat feet, wear of the sole occurs on the inside. The disease is diagnosed quite easily. Its symptoms manifest themselves in rapid fatigue of the legs, even with minimal exertion; swelling of the legs, most often the ankles, accompanied in some cases by cramps; inability to wear heels; increasing shoe size. Particularly advanced stages of the disease may be accompanied by constant lower back pain and migraines.
Depending on which of the arches is subject to pathological changes, the symptoms of flat feet may differ. How to determine flat feet without seeking help from a doctor? Longitudinal flatfoot is accompanied by localized pain in the middle part of the foot, swelling of its back side by the end of the day. Often the pain extends to the legs and lower back. Mobility of the ankle joint may decrease dramatically.
An equally serious problem is transverse flatfoot, the symptoms of which are: localization of pain in predominantly the forefoot; clearly defined and progressive deformation of the fingers; the presence of calluses and corns in the forefoot; hammertoes, as a characteristic sign of transverse flatfoot; some reduction in foot size.
The formation of flat feet is influenced by many factors, but the main ones are:
Causes of flat feet in children
There are also congenital and acquired forms of flatfoot (traumatic flatfoot, and those that occur after suffering from rickets or poliomyelitis). There is also a hereditary predisposition to flat feet. Often, flat feet develop in children due to the use of worn-in shoes (older siblings, second-hand shoes, etc.).
For any specialist, diagnosing this disease will not be difficult. At the first stage, a podoscope is used, with the help of which the diagnosis is established. In this case, a specialist evaluates the anatomical parameters of the foot and ankle joints. This allows you to both determine flat feet and identify the stage of its development. By analyzing the movements of the feet, their volume and the reactions of the arch muscles to loads, a diagnosis is made. The decisive word in determining the type and degree of flat feet, however, remains radiography. Photographs of the feet in two projections give a clear picture of both the degree of changes and the angle of the arch of the bones.
Flat feet, even if diagnosed in a timely manner, can only be completely cured in children. Treatment of flat feet in adults cannot correct existing pathological changes in the feet. You can only stop further progression. But, nevertheless, the methods of therapy used can bring the patient significant relief of well-being. Treatment of flat feet - procedure
long-term At the initial stages, conservative therapy methods are used - therapeutic massage, gymnastics (the complex of which is selected individually), the mandatory use of orthopedic insoles and shoes. In quite frequent cases, electrophoresis can be prescribed as one of the methods for treating flat feet. Drug treatment for flat feet is aimed only at relieving pain and treating inflammatory processes.
In especially advanced cases of flat feet, surgical intervention is advisable. When therapy proves powerless against this disease, an operation is performed during which the ligaments are shortened, changes in the arches are eliminated and some of the consequences of pathological processes are eliminated.
Treatment of flat feet in children gives quite fruitful results, especially with timely diagnosis. Basically, therapy in this case is aimed at strengthening muscles and ligaments, for which tonic drugs are prescribed. Massage for flat feet in children also gives good results, thanks to it improves blood circulation and increases the tone of the leg muscles. It is very important to wear special orthopedic shoes and insoles.
Preventative measures against flat feet have been known, perhaps, to everyone since childhood. The most effective thing is to walk on grass and sand barefoot, which trains the muscles of the feet and maintains the arches in a natural position. Properly selected shoes are also a preventive measure. The heel should be no higher than 4 cm.
Good afternoon My daughter is 5 years old. I’ve had valgus feet for a long time, I’ve already read other comments, I understand that you can’t completely cure them, but here’s a question:
In your opinion, is there any benefit from orthopedic shoes and insoles? They say they seem to relieve symptoms, and the doctor advised it. But I don’t know where it’s better to buy in an orthopedic salon or you can order it. I look here and on other sites, but everyone is tormented by doubts, is there any sense in this?
Consultant Ignatieva Galina: We do not use orthopedic insoles in our practice because we do not see any effect from them. If there are severe problems with the feet, it would not hurt to look for the problem higher up - in the hip joints.
Hello, I am 13 years old and have congenital flat feet of the 2nd degree. Will I be able to cure it completely or transfer it to stage 1? But, to be honest, I don’t know what degree, help me! I took a photo of my right leg.
Hello, my 13-year-old son has 1st degree flatfoot on one leg and 2nd degree on the other. Please advise whether it will be possible to cure flat feet or at this age even the 1st degree cannot be cured.
Good afternoon, the boy is almost 15 years old; he was diagnosed with flat valgus feet. My posture is already poor, my knees are painful. Will orthopedic shoes help us? Thank you very much.
Good afternoon. My daughter has 1.6 flat-valgus feet and similar bunions. How is it possible to vilikuvat?
In this case, an in-person consultation is necessary. It is necessary to find out why this problem arose. At this age it is still possible to correct it, but the examination will show how much.
Hello! A 3.5 year old child was diagnosed with flat valgus feet. Is this curable at this age?
Good afternoon, I wanted to ask, my daughter has planovalgus in both feet, age 4.5, is it possible to cure this??
It cannot be completely cured, since the main formation is the first year of a child’s life. But you need to treat! You also need to examine the hip joints and spine. There is no isolated problem with just the feet. Contact us for an in-person consultation. Sincerely
Hello, a 2-year-old child was diagnosed with flat-valgus foot and was prescribed treatment in the form of massage, exercise therapy, orthopedic shoes for up to 3-4 years. How effective is it and can you cure it, and in how many sessions? Thank you!
Good afternoon You did not answer my question ?!
Hello! Our child is 3.6 years old and has flat feet of the valgus type; at one year old, when she started walking, she had a severe clubfoot; the flat feet were noticeable and they thought it would go away. Now I am confident that this will not go away, what should we do? Is there a chance
Good day. An 8.5 year old son was diagnosed with grade 3 longitudinal transverse valgus flatfoot. Is surgery necessary or can I get by with shoes and insoles? Thank you for your answer.
I am 14 years old. It’s been two or three years since I’ve noticed that my right foot has become deformed and hurts. After looking at the pictures, I realized that I have flat feet. Help. What do I need to do? MIRZO Kyrgyzstan. Thanks in advance for your answer
Flatfoot type valgus, child 9 years old. Is it possible to improve the condition in your clinic, as well as on your own?
At this age, it is impossible to remove flat feet, but it is necessary to find out the reason why it arose so that the process does not spread further. Orthopedic shoes are also helpless in treatment.
Good afternoon, I have a question: is it possible to cure a child with 4-degree flatfoot at 12 years old?
At this age, our methods are not suitable.
Hello, a 13-year-old child was diagnosed with level 2 flat feet (moderately flat feet), can it be cured?
Hello. I have this problem. My 11-year-old son constantly complains of pain in his legs and feet. Even his gait when walking changed. Now we are doing an exercise: walking on toes, on heels, lifting objects. I wanted to buy him insoles, I heard that they help a lot, but they say I need to pick them up. Please tell me whether it is still possible to cure or is it too late.
Consultant: To say whether it can be cured, you need to know the diagnosis. Perhaps pain in the legs is a manifestation of more serious problems, so you should definitely go to the doctor for an examination. At the age of 11, you can successfully engage in treatment, but if you neglect this matter, after a breakthrough in the child’s growth, it will no longer be possible to talk about any treatment.
I am 63 years old and was diagnosed with bilateral transverse flatfoot of the left foot. Please tell me, is treatment for this diagnosis possible in your clinic or is surgery inevitable?
Consultant: Flat feet cannot be cured conservatively. There is an alternative to surgical treatment; replace the insoles in your shoes with special orthopedic instep supports; you need to buy these that are individually made for your feet.
I am Chikova Irina Anatolyevna. My son Kirill is 5 years old.
Our diagnosis is cerebral palsy, lower spastic paraparesis with severe impairment of limb function (spastic diplegia - everyone spells it differently). ZPMR. Adductor contracture of both hips. Equinus foot placement, planovalgus foot. Episyndrome, the only one according to the anamnesis. Concomitant diagnosis: Concomitant strabismus, converging (operated). High degree of hypermetropia.
I would like to come to you for treatment.
Please send me an invoice for treatment and accommodation in a double one-room room for the fund so that we can be paid.
What treatment are we going to have? Are you treating shortening (0.8-1cm)?
Consultant: Unfortunately, with this diagnosis we cannot take you for treatment.
Hello. My son is 10 years old and has flat feet with a 2-degree deformity, his left leg is stronger than his right. We bought him orthopedic shoes, and he does exercises, but the result is very small and is already causing curvature of the spine. What should we do.
Consultant: For you, time is very important. Immediately contact a pediatric vertebrologist for diagnosis and treatment.
have grade 2 flat feet in my legs . My legs hurt when walking, then lower back pain began to appear. It ended with my arms not being able to wash, especially at night, severe pain in my legs, and the impossibility of staying in one position for a long time. I had an MRI done. Displacement of intervertebral discs, stage 1. They said that I had no options other than surgery. Question: Really, are there no options? Only surgery.
Consultant: Your questions can only be answered after a face-to-face consultation.
At first glance, a child’s foot is the same as an adult’s foot, only in a smaller form. However, upon closer examination, it turns out that this is not the case. A child's foot is flat, but this does not mean that all children are flat-footed. During the “child-adult” period, the foot goes through a series of metamorphoses, forming into a full-fledged functional organ of the human skeleton.
From birth, a child's arches are filled with subcutaneous fat, so the child's imprint will always be flat. The correct formation of the foot begins with the baby's first steps. And by the age of three or four years, the bones, muscles and appearance itself acquire the outlines of an adult foot, which allows the baby to be on his feet longer. The older the child, the better the clearance of the arch of the foot is visible. In some cases, the foot is formed incorrectly and flat feet occur. However, if the foot was formed correctly in childhood, a person is still not immune from this disease in the future.
Most often, flat feet are determined by a doctor using plantography. The patient's feet are smeared with a special solution, after which he stands on clean sheets of paper. The painted print itself is examined. This method works well for adults. In children, due to the age characteristics of the foot, an error may be made when using this technique.
As can be seen in the figure, the younger the child (especially under 3-4 years old), the more the imprint of his foot resembles flat feet. Therefore, to diagnose flat feet in children and identify its symptoms, they often resort to a direct examination by an orthopedic doctor.
At home, parents can independently identify the following signs of flat feet in children:
If you notice at least one of these signs in your child, you should consult a doctor.
Sometimes flat feet are congenital, but this is the exception rather than the norm. Among all cases of flat feet in childhood, these are approximately 3%.
Indian researchers found that city residents who regularly wore shoes had flat feet three times more often than those who spent their childhood in the countryside and had the opportunity to walk barefoot. Consequently, the foot is better formed in natural and primitive conditions.
Other medical studies have found that the correct formation of the foot is influenced by the amount of load on it. The less physical activity a child has, the more likely he is to develop flat feet. This is especially true for our time, in the age of high technology and universal computerization. Children increasingly prefer the computer to playing outside and going for walks. As a result, flat feet in children are increasingly occurring together with poor posture.
The development of flat feet in children is greatly influenced by the shoes the child wears. Parents should know that shoes for a child should have a small heel (half a centimeter), soft arch support and a hard heel. In this case, the arch support compensates for the absence of stones and unevenness underfoot.
A child should not wear someone else's shoes - worn-out shoes will not distribute the load on the feet correctly.
For proper foot formation, a healthy diet is important. It is important to ensure proper phosphorus-calcium metabolism and the presence of vitamin D.
The formation of the arch of the foot requires constant training; barefoot walking is good for this. It is advisable that the child at least sometimes walk on sand, grass, pebbles and other uneven surfaces. Such surfaces can be recreated at home. Instead of the same pebbles, peas will do. In this case, the child may be wearing socks, but not shoes. These simple measures will help prevent flat feet in your child.
The human foot is designed in such a way that it never rests on all the bones. Normally, when standing, walking or running, support falls only on the heads of the first and fifth metatarsal bones (all metatarsal bones form the transverse arch of the foot) and the heel bone (it is at the base of the longitudinal arch of the foot). This is the only way we can move calmly, without experiencing difficulty or pain, bearing the weight that our hands can hold.
This is a situation when one or more bones become the fulcrum: if the longitudinal axis is flattened, then the flatfoot is called longitudinal, if the transverse axis is called transverse. A disease that is triggered by one or several causes progresses without treatment.
As a result, the spring function of the foot is lost. This is why treatment for flat feet should begin as early as possible: as soon as you notice improperly worn shoes or hear complaints about tired legs, go to an orthopedist without delay.
The disease does not come out of nowhere; there are some reasons for it:
Based on the main reasons that caused the disease, there are 5 main types:
As mentioned earlier, depending on which arch of the foot - longitudinal or transverse - suffers, flat feet can be longitudinal or transverse. Each of them has three degrees of severity, but the symptoms differ.
common form of pathology
When making a diagnosis, the doctor focuses not only on the manifestations, but also on research methods, such as:
how to identify illness at different ages
In children under 2 years of age, flat feet can only be suspected by an orthopedic doctor, since the fat pad located on the baby’s foot changes the overall appearance, making the foot appear flat. From 2-3 years of age, the foot begins to change its shape: ligaments, muscles and bones become stronger, the child spends a lot of time on his feet. Only by the age of 5-6 years does the foot become similar to an adult, and then it finally becomes clear whether it is flat feet or not.
Different types of flat feet have their own symptoms. Thus, the degrees of longitudinal flatfoot differ in the following indicators:
It's not just your legs that suffer from pain
A complete cure for flat feet can only be achieved in childhood. If an adult is diagnosed with this, it means that he will have to follow rules regarding physical activity, wearing shoes, and certain exercises throughout his life.
Up to grade 3, the situation can be corrected using conservative methods. In the third degree of the disease, treatment is surgical: removal of deformed areas of bones, as well as tendon transplantation and other cosmetic operations.
Treatment of longitudinal flat feet.
The following methods are used in children and adults:
- for children: a hard heel, a dense heel, its height: about 0.5 cm for children in the first years of life, 8-10 mm for preschoolers, for younger schoolchildren - up to 2 cm, a soft insole-instep support on the inside of the sole (in cutout area);
- in adults: avoid high heels, there must be an insole with arch support, the heel must be a fifth of the length of the foot and be dense and stable.
Before you treat transverse flatfoot at home, you need to know that the principle of treatment methods is similar to that for longitudinal flatfoot. These include exercise therapy, dousing your feet with water, contrasting foot baths, wearing gentle or orthopedic (according to indications) shoes, and physiotherapeutic methods.
group classes
The main attention for flat feet of 1st and 2nd degree is paid to performing special exercises: