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Out of the total population of the world, every second person is diagnosed with flat feet.
Not everyone is inclined to perceive it as a serious threat to health. The disease is often questioned and is considered a frivolous diagnosis that allows one to receive some benefits in social life, for example, a deferment from the army. However, the lack of proper preventive measures leads to the progression of the disease, which over time increases discomfort, exacerbating the problem. To alleviate the condition, it is necessary to be examined by a doctor in a timely manner and strictly follow the prescribed recommendations.
Many people, having heard the diagnosis of “transverse flatfoot,” ask the question: what is it? In fact, this is a process of disruption of the shock-absorbing functions of the foot. The pathology develops as a result of stretching of the muscle tendon, loss of its natural tone.
Since as a result of this, the functionality of the planar frame that fixes the correct position of the foot is disrupted, the spring capacity is reduced, and the metatarsal bones diverge to the sides. This causes serious discomfort when walking, since the tendon constantly changes direction, making it difficult for a person to stand or walk for a long time.
Transverse flatfoot leads to a change in gait, movements become less flexible and easy, the legs constantly swell, ache, and there is heaviness. A visible sign of pathology is the gradual protrusion of the thumb. Over time, it becomes overgrown with cartilage tissue, then bone. In addition to the fact that this disrupts natural movements and the correct placement of the foot, it becomes quite difficult to choose shoes.
In orthopedic practice, deformation of the muscles of the lower extremities is divided into degrees of severity, based on which the depth of the problem can be characterized:
Each degree of foot deformity with transverse flatfoot has similar symptoms, differing in the intensity of pain.
The more the disease progresses, the more discomfort the patient experiences.
In most cases, the cause of transverse flatfoot is dysfunction of the musculo-ligamentous apparatus, caused by an uneven heavy load on the foot. When the muscle tissue of the tendons weakens, it is not able to hold the foot in the anatomically correct position. This leads to an uneven distribution of gravity over certain areas, provoking pathology.
The development of transverse flatfoot is influenced by a person’s daily occupation. If his professional activity is associated with a constant load on the feet, when he is forced to stand for a long time (hairdressers, salesmen, teachers, surgeons), constant tension occurs between the bones of the foot, which leads to the development of transverse or longitudinal flat feet.
Unlike the longitudinal type, in which the foot drops along the entire plane, with transverse flatfoot there is a divergence of the bones, which reduces the length of the foot, but expands its arch.
Other causes of pathology are:
Since there are many reasons for the formation of transverse flat feet, you need to carefully monitor your health and lead a healthy lifestyle.
The initial stages of transverse flatfoot are poorly diagnosed. This is due to the absence of a sharp manifestation of symptoms. In the first stages, a person feels discomfort in the legs after long walks or standing in one place. As the disease progresses, pain begins to be felt at the junction of the toes and feet.
The pain is accompanied by the following accompanying symptoms:
A peculiarity of the pathology of the nervous system is manifested in pain syndrome of the spinal column. This occurs as a result of pain impulses reaching the nerve roots located near the intervertebral discs. Vivid symptoms are harbingers of stages 2 and 3 of the disease.
Transverse flat feet and bunions
The initial stage of diagnosis consists of a general examination, during which the nature and appearance of the arch of the foot is assessed. The following characteristics are taken into account:
After this, an instrumental study is carried out:
The doctor also identifies the medical history and the presence of concomitant pathologies (rheumatoid arthritis, obesity). Based on the collected material, a general picture of the pathology emerges, in which it is decided whether surgery is needed on the bones of the lower extremities.
To date, no medications have been developed for the treatment of flat feet. Therefore, after identifying the symptoms of transverse flatfoot, treatment can be carried out in the following ways:
In addition to the listed treatment methods, there are methods for preventing foot deformities. The patient is advised to periodically walk barefoot on crumbly, rough, bumpy surfaces.
Thanks to this, multiple points responsible for the functioning of all vital human organs are stimulated.
Blood supply improves, metabolism normalizes, and the nervous system returns to normal.
You should choose the right shoes - the sock should not put too much pressure on the toes or hinder their growth in childhood, the height of the heel should be optimally close to the natural structure of the foot (no more than 4 - 4.5 cm).
If you are on the road for a long time, you should periodically stretch your toes, walk, and squat. In this case, socks should be selected seamless so as not to disrupt the normal functioning of blood circulation.
Timely diagnosis of transverse flatfoot will largely avoid possible complications and further development of pathology. Therefore, it is recommended to be examined by an orthopedist at least once a year. A problem detected in time will require less physical and emotional costs than an advanced stage.