Is flat feet a serious disease, or nonsense that you shouldn’t pay attention to? Young mothers have been asking this question for many years. “Is it worth treating, or will it go away on its own? Maybe let him stay - they won’t take the boy into the army?” - whatever you hear in conversations about flat feet. Let's try to look at the problem from a medical point of view.
Flat feet is a change in the shape of the foot that results in a lower arch.
It is important to remember that children under two years of age have fairly flat feet, but this is not a pathology. As the child grows, the foot gradually begins to take on the correct shape. Therefore, we can talk about flat feet no earlier than the child reaches the age of five years. By this point, the foot should already have the appearance of an “arch”.
Thus, a child can be diagnosed with “flat feet” only before entering school, but foot development should be monitored from infancy and regularly visited by an orthopedic doctor.
Why does flat feet occur?
In fact, there are many reasons for the development of flat feet, here are the main ones:
• static flat feet, which occurs with rapid weight gain;
• traumatic flatfoot after fractures of the bones of the foot;
• deficiency of vitamins and microelements;
• congenital pathology of connective tissue;
• paralysis of the foot muscles;
• incorrectly selected, uncomfortable, unsuitable shoes.
Alarm bells for parents
It is recommended to suspect that your child has flat feet and immediately go for a consultation with an experienced orthopedic doctor if:
• the child gets tired very quickly during a walk and begins to ask to be held;
• the baby quickly wears out new shoes (the sole wears down inward).
The orthopedist conducts an examination and additional examination, makes a diagnosis and draws up a comprehensive treatment plan.
First of all, moms and dads need to be patient, since this disease requires long-term and multifaceted exposure. If it was possible to identify flat feet at the initial stage, then the use of special mats and bolsters is effective. Massage with these items normalizes the muscle tone of the feet.
Warm baths with sea salt and a light foot massage before bedtime help relieve fatigue, pain and tension, and daily exercises help strengthen muscles.
It is on gymnastics and professional massage courses that orthopedic doctors, as a rule, pin their greatest hopes. And, of course, wearing special orthopedic shoes is an important component of the treatment of flat feet.
Effective exercises for the prevention and treatment of flat feet
Rolling pin and handkerchief
Place your baby in a high chair so that his feet are on the floor. Place a rolling pin in front of him and ask him to roll it with his legs in different directions.
Place a handkerchief in front of the child and ask him to grab it with the toes of his left foot and lift it up. It is recommended to repeat 10 times for each leg.
Place your child in a chair with his feet flat on the floor. Ask him to run the big toe of his left leg along his right shin from bottom to top, and then repeat this, changing legs. A five-time repetition is recommended for each leg.
Place your baby on a chair and ask him to put his feet on the floor. Without lifting his heels from the floor, he should lift his toes towards himself. After several repetitions, you need to slightly complicate the task by asking you to lift only your big toes.
Ask your child to squat ten times without lifting his heels off the floor.
Ask your child to sit on a chair and place one foot on the floor and the other on the ball. Ask him to roll the ball with his feet in different directions for 1-2 minutes. Then change the leg and repeat the exercise. Ask a child sitting on a chair to lift the ball with both legs, trying to keep it suspended for at least a few seconds.
Walking on tiptoes
This exercise is very simple, but at the same time quite effective - walking in place on your fingertips. You can walk around the room from one end to the other. You can alternate walking on your toes with marching on your heels.
How to choose the right shoes
The most important point in the prevention or comprehensive treatment of flat feet is the choice of the right shoes. Of course, for a diagnosed child, the doctor will select special orthopedic insoles, which will need to be inserted into both street and indoor shoes. Or, in severe cases, he will give a referral for the production of special therapeutic shoes in an orthopedic salon.
With mild flat feet and in order to prevent it, it is important to be able to choose the right shoes. When going to the store to buy shoes for your baby, consider a number of rules, and then choosing the right model will not be difficult:
1. The boot should fit the baby’s foot tightly; options with lacing and fasteners are good for this. However, you should be very careful to ensure that the baby’s leg is not squeezed.
2. Choose a model that is soft on the inside, made from natural materials, so that it does not rub the child’s delicate feet.
3. It’s good when the shoes have small holes so that the baby’s skin can breathe.
4. The back of the shoe should be high and rigid, this helps to fix the ankle.
5. The shoes of a child under 2 years old should be simple, without arch support. It is important that there is a small wide heel.
6. The sole of the shoe should be hard and non-slip.
I pay a lot of attention to hardening and preventive techniques. I write books and articles about children's health. Author of “Modern Collection of Medicines”, “First Medical Aid for Children” and other books on medical and pharmaceutical topics. I collaborate with medical journals and publishing houses.
We, as parents, are always very concerned about the health of our children. And one of the first questions that arises as soon as the baby gets on his feet is whether our child has flat feet? And by the way, is it possible to make this diagnosis yourself or at least suspect foot pathology in a child?
It turns out that it is possible and even very easy to identify this disease of the musculoskeletal system at home. All you have to do is leave an imprint of your child's wet or oiled foot on a piece of white paper of medium absorbency.
Of course, we won’t know the degree of development of the foot deformity from this test at home, but we can suspect something is wrong and contact an orthopedist in time without a doubt.
A flat foot is understood as a change in the shape of the arch of the foot, consisting in the fact that its dorsal surface loses its convexity and becomes flattened, while the sole loses its concavity, so that the plantar cavity disappears. The patient steps with the entire sole.
Often, a flat foot is congenital and is caused by rickets, post-poliomyelitis; in other cases, a flat foot is acquired if the lower limb is subjected to some kind of damage; for example, a flat foot can form after ankle fractures and other injuries.
For the development of flat feet in children and adults, improperly selected shoes are important - too tight, too wide, loose, or already used and “adapted” to the previous owner.
In adults, the reasons for the progression of flat feet include wearing high heels for a long time or, conversely, a low flat platform without an instep support. Long standing work, injuries, and existing joint pathologies are also important.
May contribute to the development of pathology of the musculoskeletal system if the child gets up on his feet too early, or excess weight.
The main reason for the formation of flat feet is excessive burden on the foot. The arch of the foot is held in tension by the ligaments, muscles and tendons of the sole; If the action of these soft tissues weakens, then, due to the force of gravity, the arch is flattened, and the sole assumes the position described above.
The reason for the decrease in soft tissue tone in children must be sought, as indicated, in rickets, vitamin deficiency or in the general weakness of the skeletal muscles of the body. With age, changes in the foot may further intensify due to increased body weight.
Flat feet actively contribute to the development of postural deformities - curvature (scoliosis) and spinal displacement (for example, with Scheuermann-Mau disease). Frequent back pain appears, activity and performance decrease.
And I must say that flat feet are not so rare; every 4 children in the world have flat feet.
During normal development, the foot rests on the surface with the heel bone and the heads of the metatarsal bones; only its outer part touches the floor, which is clearly visible from the imprint of the unchanged sole.
There are 2 types of flatfoot - transverse and longitudinal, with transverse flatfoot the transverse arch of the foot is flattened, the front part rests on all 5 metatarsal bones, the length of the foot decreases, with longitudinal flatfoot, the longitudinal arch is accordingly flattened, the area of contact with the floor increases along the entire length, it is also noted lengthening of the feet.
When longitudinal flatfoot has developed, the foot is completely adjacent to the floor, without forming a depression on the inside. The stages of flat feet depend on the size of the notch.
It is only at first glance that it seems that flat feet are not a very serious disease, but when it develops, there is often aching pain in the foot when standing or walking, especially in the evening, it is difficult to stay on your feet for a long time, there are cramps in the calf muscles, and the general condition suffers - Fatigue and irritability appear.
Subjective phenomena with flat feet can be expressed very sharply. Patients complain of rapid fatigue when walking and more or less severe pain. Pain, however, is not a constant phenomenon, but occurs in periods.
In addition, swelling of the ankle and ankle may occur by the end of the day, curvature of the fingers, the appearance of calluses, nails growing into the skin of the fingers, it has been noticed that in children and adults with flat feet, the inside of the shoes quickly wears out.
The examination reveals a characteristic flattening of the arch of the foot , which can be determined both directly and from impressions made from the patient’s feet. In other cases, complete fixation of the foot may occur in a pronated position (tilting the foot inward), so that true adduction develops. This form of flat foot is called acute or inflammatory. It develops in cases where the lower limbs have to do excessive work.
It should be remembered that in all cases of complaints of pain in the legs, one should never skip examining the shape of the feet, otherwise it is easy to make a mistake and prescribe the wrong treatment.
Treatment of flat feet seems to be a rewarding endeavor. Due to the lack of natural convexity of the feet, it is formed artificially by placing orthopedic insoles in the shoes of patients.
The purpose of orthopedic insoles for flat feet is to act as an oblique plane and support the entire surface of the foot; therefore, the insole should extend from the tip of the toes to the heel and from one side of the foot to the other. The height of the insole should usually be about 2.5 cm.
In more severe cases, appropriate shoes with high heels and soles are prescribed.
Conservative treatment involves the use of periodic pain relief, courses of vitamin complexes, electrophoresis, foot baths, and foot massage.
If, with advanced flat feet in adults, there are already changes in the bones and joints, then one has to resort to forcible straightening of the foot, i.e., transferring it from a position of pronation to supination, after which a plaster cast is applied for 4-6 weeks.
If the flat foot is caused by paralysis of the anterior and posterior tibialis muscles, then tendon plasty is indicated.
Since scoliosis and flat feet are extremely often combined, immediate prevention of poor posture and flat feet is necessary; therapeutic exercises and the necessary minimum of exercises help with this.
With flat feet, regular exercise therapy classes come to the fore; classes are recommended for daily use, maybe even twice a day. The whole set of exercises for flat feet is small, designed for 10-15 minutes.
It is advisable to carry out the exercises with children in a playful way, so that the children do not quickly get bored; it is possible to combine the exercises with songs and tongue twisters selected for the occasion.
An important place in gymnastics is occupied by exercises with walking on the inside and outside of the foot, on tiptoes, heels, squeezing and unclenching the toes, moving objects, rolling a stick or rolling pin.
A complex of exercise therapy for the prevention of flat feet in children is carried out barefoot with available materials (tennis balls, massage mats, gymnastic sticks). Spend no more than 1 minute on each exercise in the initial stages of training, after which you can slightly increase the load and diversify the complex.
A child often has problems with his feet; all newborns have a flat foot, but this does not mean that the child suffers from flat feet. As a child grows up, the foot can change, thus taking on the correct shape. But, if you pay attention to this in time, you can get rid of the diagnosis of flat feet; in children, treatment is almost always effective and leads to the child recovering. When every child is born, the arches of the feet are filled with a layer of fat, which is destroyed when the child takes his first steps.
It is because of this that the baby’s footprint is flat at first. Already at the age of three, a child’s foot becomes similar to an adult’s; the bones, ligaments, and muscles are strengthened quite well by this time, so the baby can be on his feet for a very long time. The older the child, the more visible the arches of the feet.
Flat feet in a child are diagnosed when the foot is not formed correctly. It doesn’t necessarily appear in childhood, but maybe in adulthood.
Flat feet can be detected using plantography; for this, the patient’s feet are smeared with a special solution, then he stands on clean paper, so you can see a clear imprint of the foot, with the help of which flat feet are detected. Often this method is ineffective in children because the child has minor age-related characteristics. The smaller the child, the greater the risk that the print will indicate that the child has flat feet. That is why it is so important to constantly consult your child with an orthopedist, so that this disease can be diagnosed correctly and on time.
1. You may notice the child’s club feet when walking; he begins to turn them outward. This symptom characterizes vulgus flatfoot in a child. This happens because the child's leg muscles are too weak, so he cannot hold his leg in a normal position. It is considered normal when the feet are parallel.
2. The child begins to step on the inside of the foot when walking. At the same time, he has a peculiar gait.
When one of the symptoms is detected, you need to urgently consult a doctor in order to undergo a full course of treatment.
Often flat feet are congenital. It affects children who constantly wear shoes. Children who walk barefoot do not suffer from flat feet. That is why it is so important that the baby’s foot develops better in natural conditions.
An important role for the development of the foot is played by the loads that fall on it. If a child moves his feet little, he is at risk of getting sick. Therefore, it is best for children to spend as much time as possible not in front of a computer or TV, this harms not only their feet, but also their posture, but play active educational games, do exercises and move as much as possible, for this it is necessary that the child as much as possible I walked more in the air.
Often flat feet develop due to low-quality shoes that you buy for your child. Remember, all children's shoes must meet the following standards:
1. Have a hard ass.
2. Have a soft instep support and a small heel. The arch support thus compensates for the fact that there are no uneven surfaces or stones underfoot.
3. Under no circumstances should a child wear old shoes, otherwise the load on the foot will be incorrect.
A very important condition for the proper formation of children’s feet is a healthy lifestyle, a nutritious and balanced diet. The child should have enough vitamins and minerals that are necessary for phosphorus-calcium metabolism.
It is very important to train a child’s foot, which is just developing; for this, it is best for the child to walk barefoot. It is useful for your baby to walk on pebbles, sand and grass. In this case, you can leave the baby in socks, but under no circumstances in shoes. You can create such a surface at home by pouring peas into a bowl and letting him walk on it.
With the help of simple foot exercises, you can protect your child from flat feet.
A common cause of flat feet in a child is uneven or insufficient load on the foot. Remember that children's bones are constantly growing and are influenced by external influences, which is why it is so important to avoid flat feet.
Children are characterized by longitudinal flat feet, it can be treated without surgery, often this disease is congenital, which is why it is so important to treat it during the first days of life. For this purpose, special plaster bandages and splints are used.
In no case should the disease be neglected; timely treatment should begin immediately when it begins to appear. If this is not done, combined flatfoot may appear, which is characterized by longitudinal and transverse flatfoot in the child. It is very difficult to treat this form.
Treatment is most often tonic in nature, due to the fact that the disease develops due to weakened ligaments and muscles, and weak bones. The purpose of this treatment is to strengthen the ligaments and muscles in order to bring the foot back to normal. This will require massage and therapeutic exercises.
The basis of treatment for flat feet in a child is exercise therapy - physical therapy, which can be used to normalize muscles and ligaments. With the help of massage, you can tone your muscles and normalize blood circulation.
Often special orthopedic shoes and insoles are used for therapeutic purposes. In this way, the load on the foot can be adjusted.
So, flat feet in a child is often a disease that leads to deformation of the foot and to the fact that the longitudinal and transverse arches do not form. This can happen due to injury, a hereditary disease, or developmental disorders in the baby. In this process, the foot is flat and has no spring function. Because of this, the entire load is transferred to the spine and joints of the legs, which is why children with flat feet suffer from diseases of the lower back, knees and hips. Therefore, it is so important to remember to prevent flat feet in children; if it is detected, begin timely treatment.
Flat feet are not only a cosmetic defect and a “free” deferment from the army. Problematic feet lead to diseases of the legs, knees, and spine, because the whole body is deprived of normal support.
Flat feet are not only a cosmetic defect and a “free” deferment from the army. Problematic feet lead to diseases of the legs, knees, and spine, because the whole body is deprived of normal support.
The foot acquired a “concave” shape, which allows the body weight to be evenly distributed on the support, in the process of evolution. The bones in it are connected in a special way by ligaments and form an arch that provides shock absorption when walking and running. Normally, the foot of an adult comes into contact with the floor at three points: the calcaneal tubercle, the head of the 1st metatarsal bone and the 5th metatarsal bone, i.e. rests on the heel, the ball in front of the big toe and the line from the little toe to the heel. With flat feet, the foot becomes flatter, sometimes touching the ground with the entire surface of the sole. In smart words, the foot is deformed and its arch is lowered.
Formation of a child's foot.
By 2-3 years, the bones become stronger, the ligaments and muscles become stronger, and the foot begins to take on an “adult” shape. The child now stands well on his feet and can take long walks. The process of foot formation continues up to 5-6 years. Only after this age can we speak with certainty about the presence or absence of flat feet in a child.
However, throughout this period, regular monitoring of foot development by parents and an orthopedic doctor is necessary. Only about 3% of children are born with congenital flat feet due to an intrauterine malformation, and this problem is identified in them in the maternity hospital. Most people develop flat feet in subsequent years.
To notice the problem at the earliest stage, do not forget about visits to the clinic. An orthopedist should examine the baby at 1, 3 and 6 months to identify rickets. At 1 year of age, he checks the correct curves of the spine and joint mobility. At 3 years old, assesses posture, gait, condition of feet, measures the length of arms and legs. Then the check is done once a year. If signs of flat feet are detected, the child is registered with an orthopedist and is prescribed a course of treatment: physiotherapy, therapeutic massage, wearing special orthopedic shoes if necessary, treatment in a sanatorium.
Causes of acquired flat feet:
- congenital weakness of the muscles and ligaments of the foot;
- paralysis of leg muscles;
- forced systematic standing on your feet for many hours in a row.
How to independently determine flat feet in a child:
— Pay attention to the legs bent in a “cross” (valgus deformity of the ankle joint), i.e. the foot falls inward;
— Do not ignore children’s complaints about pain in the legs and back, reluctance to walk for a long time;
— An indirect sign is the sole and heel of the shoe, knocked down on the inside;
- The most obvious way: smear the child’s feet with paint and place him on a piece of paper, with his legs straight and closed. If the entire sole is imprinted, then there is cause for concern and a visit to an orthopedist. If the footprint is bean-shaped, it means that the arch of the foot is raised and performs its shock-absorbing functions.
How to protect your child from flat feet.
- Regularly massage your feet from infancy;
— Allow you to walk barefoot on uneven surfaces (sand, grass, pebbles, massage mat);
— Choose the right shoes (from natural materials, in size, with a small heel). You should not wear special orthopedic shoes without a doctor’s prescription;
- Temper the child, pour cool water on his feet before bed and after a walk;
— Do exercises daily to strengthen the muscles of the feet;
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It is not easy to establish congenital flat feet before the age of five, since in all children under this age all the elements of a flat foot are determined. In approximately 3% of cases of flat feet, the flat foot is congenital. Flat feet are diagnosed in 80-90% of children.
When a child begins to walk, he needs the right shoes for the protection and healthy development of his feet. A child's feet are formed by contact with the surface on which he walks.
As soon as the baby begins to walk, it is necessary to give his legs reliable support and his feet elastic support. Orthopedic preventive shoes with a removable arch-forming insole will help to perform this task. It helps the child maintain better balance, prevents the development of flat feet and protects against a number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
In the absence of serious problems of the musculoskeletal system, shoes can not be worn all the time. If your child walks around barefoot at home, try to put shoes on him for at least 10-15 minutes per hour. Wear shoes when walking. On the recommendation of a doctor, the time of wearing shoes can be increased to a full day.
You can prevent flat feet, especially if you know about the predisposition to it in your family, that it is hereditary. In the early stages, correct orthopedic shoes, preventive insoles, mandatory physical therapy, and massage will help.
Flat feet can be corrected using these methods up to 7 years of age.
Orthopedic shoes differ from ordinary ones in the presence of special, special structure of standard parts.
Shoes should include:
It is very difficult to get rid of flat feet in children without special physical exercises. Therefore, a mandatory necessary element in the fight against flat feet will be massage and a complex of physical therapy.
To prevent flat feet, Orthoboom shoes with an arch-forming insole with a low, soft lining of the longitudinal arch (instep support) and a hard heel are recommended.
Wearing such shoes prevents the formation of longitudinal flat feet and lateral (valgus or varus) deviation of the hindfoot.
In Russia there are very few shoes that meet medical requirements. Ortobum shoes are produced in accordance with the State Standards of the Russian Federation and international quality standards. Orthoboom shoes have undergone medical research, have a conclusion from the Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy and all related documents.
Ortoboom shoes are created taking into account the anatomical features of the foot and its mechanical changes when walking. All shoes are designed taking into account safety requirements, only natural materials are used. Seams, fasteners and other accessories do not harm the joints and do not rub the leg.
Insoles in shoes provide support for the arches of the feet, but do not take into account the individual characteristics of the feet of a particular child. Therefore, it is better to make them individually to order. In Ortobum shoes, the insole is removable, allowing you to replace it with an individual one.
Flat feet is a deformation of the foot in which there is a lowering (flattening) of its arches.
The foot has two arches - longitudinal and transverse. A decrease in the longitudinal arch leads to longitudinal flatfoot, and a decrease in the transverse arch leads to transverse flatfoot. In some cases, a combined form is noted.
The arches of the foot act as springs. Thus, thanks to the presence of a longitudinal arch of the foot, when walking or running, the weight of the body is absorbed, which makes the gait smoother and softer. Thanks to the longitudinal arch, the body does not collapse, a person walks smoothly and confidently. Of course, it’s not just about the arches of the foot; muscles, bones of the foot, tendons, joints, and nerve endings also participate in such a complex process.
In children under 4-5 years of age, a low arch is a consequence of incomplete development of the foot and, in most cases, does not require special treatment. But, regular observation and strengthening of the muscular-ligamentous system in children (from 3-4 years old) is absolutely necessary.
This pathology is very rare and, as a rule, is combined with other deformities. Congenital flatfoot is a consequence of primary intrauterine malformations of the embryo. Treatment for this type of flatfoot begins from the first days of life.
Depending on the factor that leads to the development of acquired flatfoot, static, rachitic, traumatic and paralytic flatfoot are distinguished.
This type occurs most often in children. Longitudinal flatfoot predominates, but it can also be combined with transverse one.
Causes of static flat feet
External causes : physical overload associated with prolonged standing, wearing irrational and uncomfortable shoes, excess body weight.
Internal causes : primary weakness of the musculo-ligamentous apparatus, foot dysplasia.
Symptoms of static flat feet
Clinical manifestations of longitudinal flatfoot are characterized by changes in the contours of the foot and the addition of pain. Symptoms vary depending on the degree of flat feet.
In grade 1 (mild flat feet), there is rapid fatigue in the legs and pain when pressing on the middle of the sole and on the foot. By evening, swelling may appear on the back of the foot. The gait becomes less flexible.
With degree 2 (severe flat feet), the pain syndrome becomes more pronounced, pain in the ankles and lower legs can be constant. The gait loses its plasticity, smoothness and elasticity. It becomes difficult to find suitable shoes. The longitudinal arch, which is reduced without load, is even more flattened when loaded.
At grade 3 (severe flat feet), constant pain in the feet, legs, and lower back is characteristic. Upon examination, the longitudinal arch is not determined, both with and without load. The foot is deformed and cannot be corrected by hand, the heel is rounded and flattened, the contours of the Achilles tendon are smoothed, the foot and ankle joint swell. Walking is difficult. At this level, wearing regular shoes becomes impossible.
If there is also transverse flatfoot, then deformation of the fingers is added. Characteristic: flatness of the forefoot, the presence of calluses and soreness of the skin of the sole under the heads of the metatarsal bones. As the degree of transverse flatfoot increases, hammertoes appear
The diagnosis is made by an orthopedic doctor based on an examination of the feet, X-ray data, plantography and podometry.
Treatment of static flat feet
Physical therapy takes a leading place in the treatment of this pathology . The doctor selects it in various volumes depending on the shape and degree of flat feet. Therapeutic gymnastics exercises are aimed at strengthening the muscles that support the arch, and also correct the vicious position of the feet, develop a stereotype of the correct position of the whole body and lower limb, and activate the motor mode.
The main role in treatment is given to special exercises that are aimed at correcting foot deformities.
A set of exercises recommended for flat feet
The first 8 exercises are done from the starting position sitting on a chair, from the 9th - from the starting position standing.
At the beginning of the course, it is recommended to do only exercises from the starting position while sitting in order to eliminate the influence of body weight on the arch of the foot. In the future, gradually, you can move on to exercises from a standing position and walking. It is recommended to include these exercises in children's daily routine.
You can also use exercises in natural conditions to strengthen muscles - walking barefoot on loose soil, sand, logs, swimming and others.
Another effective method in the treatment of flat feet is massage and self-massage . Massage course from 1.5 to 2 months. Session duration is 10-15 minutes.
To improve tissue trophism, physiotherapeutic treatment methods .
For severe forms of flat feet, the use of orthopedic insoles (instep supports) or orthopedic shoes is indicated, depending on the severity.
Surgical treatment is carried out if conservative treatment methods are unsuccessful and when the deformity progresses.
This type of flatfoot develops against the background of rickets. With this pathology, bones become soft, pliable and easily deformed even under light loads.
Treatment of rachitic flatfoot consists of general strengthening of the body, vitamin therapy, the use of physiotherapeutic methods and, of course, treatment of the disease itself, which led to the development of this pathology.
For forms that can be corrected manually, redressing, plaster casts, orthopedic insoles and shoes are indicated. For fixed forms (not amenable to manual correction), only orthopedic shoes are indicated.
This type is the result of malunion of fractures of the ankles, tarsal bones and metatarsals of the foot, and can also develop as a result of damage to the soft tissues that strengthen the arches of the foot.
Treatment of traumatic flatfoot includes the use of physiotherapeutic procedures and wearing orthopedic shoes and insoles.
Formed by paralysis of the muscles that support the arches of the feet, most often this occurs after polio. But it can be a complication of other diseases.
In mild cases, orthopedic shoes are used for treatment.
In case of unfixed deformity in children, starting at the age of 5, it is possible to transplant the peroneus longus muscle to the inner edge of the foot.
Many children aged 1-3 years have a thick layer of subcutaneous fatty tissue on their soles, and parents seeing this picture confuse it with flat feet.
You can do a foot examination at home. To do this, lubricate the soles of the child’s feet with paint for drawing or just a thick cream and place it on a clean sheet of paper so that the feet are well imprinted. In this case, the child must stand independently and not lean his hands on any supports. The legs should be placed together, the torso should be straight. If everything is fine with the foot, the sheet should show fingerprints, the ball of the foot, the outer edge of the foot and the heel.
Indirect signs may be : a child turns his socks outward when walking (clubfoot) or steps on the inner edge of the foot.
If in any doubt, consult your doctor.
Flatfoot is a change in the shape of the foot, characterized by drooping of its longitudinal and transverse arches. There are transverse and longitudinal flat feet, or a combination of these forms - combined flat feet.
Flat feet can be congenital or acquired. Acquired by etiology is divided into static, paralytic and traumatic.
Static is the most common type of flatfoot. Occurs when the arch-supporting apparatus of the foot (muscles and ligaments) is weak; weakness can be due to hereditary causes, or be the result of serious illnesses, malnutrition, rickets, etc.
Paralytic flatfoot (paralytic flatfoot) occurs after polio. The reason for the development of flat feet in this case is paralysis of the muscles of both the foot and the tibial muscles.
Traumatic flatfoot occurs after fractures of the bones of the foot, as well as after ankle fractures.
Normally, about 70% of the load falls on the feet and 30% on the knee joints and spine. With flat feet, 45-35% of the load falls on the feet and 55-65% on the overlying joints of the limbs and the spine.
By the age of 7, more than 60% of children suffer from flat feet.
Orthopedic shoes are indicated if the child has:
If your child complains of fatigue when walking, pain in the legs, and you notice a change in gait and posture, you should consult an orthopedic doctor.
Flat feet can lead to:
For a child who already walks well, shoes with a removable arch-forming insole are recommended.
By combining the correct orthopedic design elements, Orthoboom children's orthopedic shoes ensure the correct development of the child's foot:
The all-round rigid heel counter with extended wings stabilizes and locks the foot in the correct position.
When using Orthoboom shoes, results were obtained to improve the support ability and overall balance of the torso (according to stabilometry data) in children with foot deformities.
Correction of foot function with the help of orthopedic shoes helps to properly engage the muscles of the lower leg and foot.
Ortobum preventive shoes are recommended for children with:
In the production of Ortobum preventive orthopedic shoes, only natural materials that are safe for children’s feet are used: