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.
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.
Flat feet can lead to:
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.
If a child is diagnosed with “valgus flatfoot,” this means that the height of the arch of his feet is reduced and, in addition, their axis is significantly curved. In this case, the child’s toes and heel look outward, and the entire middle section of the leg is tumbled inward. Visually, this whole picture is identical to the letter X. The medical term for this pathology is foot valgus. As a rule, such congenital flat feet can be detected in a child in the maternity hospital. And the good news is that the pathology is quite rare. In most cases, parents have complaints when the baby tries to take the first steps and fails due to flat feet. In this case, fathers and mothers begin to worry very much and do not understand why their baby is not positioning his leg the way he should?
It is almost impossible to determine pathology as such before 3 years of age, since physiologically all children under this age have a thickened arch of the foot. That is, on the baby’s leg there is a certain fatty pad that hides the arch of the foot. To detect any lower extremity impairment, you need to place your baby on his toes. But even this in some cases is not an indicator, since the bony skeleton of the child’s foot is fully formed at 5-6 years of age, and it is during this period that we can talk about the presence or absence of a valgus foot in the child. If you doubt the health of your child, it is best to consult an orthopedic doctor for advice.
The main causes of flat feet in children are:
Favorable successful treatment of flat feet directly depends on correct diagnosis and, accordingly, on the cause of flat feet and the degree of its development in the child. According to medical indicators, there are 3 main degrees of severity of valgus flatfoot, namely moderate, mild and extremely severe.
With the help of traditional medicine, it is possible to reduce the manifestation of mild and moderate valgus flatfoot. But this does not apply to the severe stage. In any case, the child’s parents will need to prepare for the fact that the treatment will be quite long and quite expensive both in terms of time and material resources.
Regardless of the type of flatfoot and the stage at which it was diagnosed, the first thing the baby’s parents need to do is choose the right shoes and significantly increase the child’s motor activity. What does it mean to increase physical activity? You should go out with your child for walks as much as possible, walking and preferably on the grass with bare feet, on sand and pebbles. The child must constantly do something with his legs. You can buy a special mat and place it under the baby’s feet. It should be spiked and provide some kind of massage to your baby’s feet. Such rugs should be placed wherever possible - for example, in the bathroom, in the toilet, under the baby’s crib, and also in the place where the child plays.
Physical therapy is the first and most effective method of correcting a foot defect in your child. If the child has reached school age, then he will be able to perform all the exercises independently. It is advisable to enroll your child in any sports section, where he will develop the muscles of the lower extremities.
At home, the child needs to choose a special individual complex that will cure flat feet. Of course, this should be done by a professional, so as not to cause any harm.
So, the general therapeutic complex of physical exercises should include the following:
A child with a diagnosis of “valgus flatfoot” especially needs a foot massage. Moreover, if possible, you need to massage the child’s entire body. This is due to the fact that with flat feet there is a fairly strong load on the knees, ankle joints, pelvis and spine. Therefore, you need to work absolutely all muscle groups. If parents do not have the opportunity to hire a special massage therapist, then you can use special guides and full video instructions to learn how to do a massage yourself.
Careful and special attention must be paid to the sacral region of the feet. With the help of therapeutic massage, you can strengthen the muscles of the child’s feet, as well as relieve tension in the baby’s legs and lower back. Also, therapeutic massage can eliminate pain, if any, and restore the baby’s blood circulation. It is advisable to do a massage after taking a bath with sea salt.
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.
Flat feet are one of the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system in children.
Normally, all children under 2 years old have no arch of the foot, that is, physiological flat feet are noted. This is due to the fact that the bone tissue in babies is not yet sufficiently formed and contains insufficient minerals. Ligaments and muscles are also poorly developed.
After a child reaches 2-3 years of age, the bones, muscles and ligaments become stronger, and from this age until about 6 years of age, the process of forming the correct shape of the foot continues.
There is no single reason for the development of flat feet. There are quite a large number of factors contributing to the development of this pathology.
Factors contributing to the development of flat feet:
Scientists have found that children living in the city develop flat feet 3 times more often than rural children who have the opportunity and habit of walking barefoot.
Flat feet can be diagnosed in a child no earlier than 5-6 years of age, but its prevention must be addressed from the very birth of the child.
A complex of special gymnastics to strengthen the ligaments and muscles of the foot and prevent flat feet includes the following exercises:
- extension and flexion of the toes;
- alternately raising toes and heels from the floor;
- circular movements with each foot;
- pulling your toes away from you and towards you;
— maximum extension of the heels to the sides, without lifting the toes from the floor;
- rise on your toes;
Flat feet are one of the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system in children. This is a deformation of the foot in which its arch is flattened and the flat sole comes into contact with the floor with its entire surface.
Many parents perceive this disease only as a cosmetic defect or a guarantee that their sons are unfit for military service. But this disease requires closer attention and timely treatment of children. Despite local changes in the bone-supporting apparatus, flat feet are fraught with the occurrence of subsequent diseases of the legs, knee joints, spine and even internal organs.
Normally, all children under 2 years of age have no arch of the foot, that is, physiological flat feet . This is due to the fact that the bone tissue in babies is not yet sufficiently formed and contains insufficient minerals. Ligaments and muscles are also poorly developed.
On the plantar surface of the foot, in place of the arch, a child at this age has a fatty “pad”. It is this that acts as a shock absorber (instead of the arch of the foot) when the child begins to walk.
After a child reaches 2-3 years of age, the bones, muscles and ligaments become stronger, and from this age until about 6 years of age, the process of forming the correct shape of the foot continues. Therefore, only by the age of 6 can one determine whether a child has flat feet.
But during the period of formation of the baby’s foot, it is necessary to consult an orthopedist annually, who can monitor the process. In approximately 3% of children with flat feet, it is a congenital malformation that is detected immediately at birth. In other cases, flat feet are acquired; they form during the development of the child.
The arch of the foot is formed from bones and ligaments. It allows you to distribute body weight evenly on the support and provides shock absorption during running and walking. With a normally formed foot, there are only 3 points of contact between the foot and the floor: the heel, the “ball” at the base of the big toe, and the outer edge of the foot (the part of the foot from the little toe to the heel).
With flat feet, the arch is deformed, and the entire plantar surface of the foot is flattened, adjacent to the ground or floor. The center of gravity of the body shifts, which contributes to poor posture.
Everyone knows that on the plantar surface of the foot there are biologically active points (“representations” of various organs and systems). Constant irritation of these points with flat feet can cause various pathological conditions in the muscles, joints, and internal organs.
Factors contributing to the development of flat feet :
Therefore, for the correct formation of the foot, it is recommended to at least occasionally allow the child to walk barefoot on grass, sand, and small gravel (pebbles). At home, you can train your developing foot by walking your baby in socks on scattered peas.
For the correct formation of the foot, the load on it is important: with little physical activity of the child, the likelihood of developing flat feet is higher. This is especially important nowadays, when children from an early age are “attached” to the computer, TV and spend very little time outside. As a result, not only flat feet are formed, but also poor posture.
No less important for the prevention of flat feet are the child’s shoes: they should have a small heel (0.5 cm), a soft arch support and a hard heel. A child should not wear other children’s shoes, as worn-out shoes do not distribute the load on the foot correctly. “Wrong” shoes are not only very flat (without heels at all) shoes, but also shoes that are too narrow or too wide.
To prevent flat feet, proper nutrition of the child is important, with sufficient calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D in foods.
Even if the baby’s foot has formed correctly, the child is not guaranteed to have no flat feet in the future. In some cases, the disease is not detected in preschool age and continues to progress; It is detected in adolescence and even later.
There are the following types of flat feet:
According to the time of onset of foot pathology:
Due to the occurrence:
In the direction of spreading:
Parents may suspect the development of flat feet in a child based on the following signs:
If any of these manifestations are detected in a child, you should consult an orthopedist.
A more visual test for flat feet: the plantar surface of the child’s feet is smeared with paint or oil and placed on a sheet of paper (the legs should be straight and closed). Then they raise the child and examine the printed drawing. If it has the shape of a bean, the arch of the foot is correct, but if the entire foot is imprinted widely, you need to contact an orthopedist. This test is applicable only to children over 5-6 years old, when the foot is already formed.
The orthopedist usually also uses the plantography method - studying the print of the feet on a piece of paper after lubricating the soles with a special solution.
When a child reaches 5 years of age, a mandatory examination by an orthopedist is required, even if there are no complaints.
Many parents mistakenly think that flat feet do not pose a serious threat to the child’s health, and do not even consider it a disease. Such parents do not take seriously the child’s complaints about fatigue and pain in the legs or back, consider them simply whims, and do not consider it necessary to show the child to an orthopedist.
This attitude is unacceptable, as it can lead to untimely treatment and the development of a number of complications and consequences of flat feet.
The foot acts as a “spring” when walking or running. With flat feet, there is practically no shock absorption from the foot. Therefore, when walking or running, “recoil” or shaking occurs on the lower leg, hip joint and spine, which contributes to the development of arthrosis (dystrophic damage to the joint due to the destruction of intra-articular cartilage).
Often the appearance of scoliosis (curvature of the spine) is associated with the asymmetry of the sacrum that occurs with this pathology. Often with flat feet, ingrown nails and curvature of the toes are observed.
“Harmless” flat feet can lead not only to deformation of the bones of the foot, lameness and clubfoot in a child, increased fatigue when walking, but also cause a vertebral hernia, persistent radiculitis, arthritis (inflammation of the joints) and osteochondrosis in the future.
Activation of biologically active energy points on the sole can, according to some experts, cause many diseases of various organs.
You should not hesitate to see a doctor and receive treatment, because timely treatment makes it possible to prevent further progression of the disease and the development of complications. After all, flat feet will not go away on their own.
The treatment prescribed by the orthopedist helps to strengthen the muscles of the foot, improve its blood supply, and have a gentle effect on the ligaments and joints to correct existing deformities of the foot and ankle joint.
It is easier to achieve success in childhood, when complete ossification of the skeleton has not yet occurred. Treatment should be carried out even with minimal flat feet. The later treatment begins, the more difficult it is to correct existing disorders.
Treatment of flat feet in children is carried out using different methods:
During treatment, the orthopedist will determine the frequency of visits to the doctor to monitor treatment and correct it (if necessary).
A complex of special gymnastics to strengthen the ligaments and muscles of the foot and prevent flat feet includes the following exercises:
- stand on the ribs of the outer side of the feet;
- squats without lifting your heels off the floor;
- alternately walking on toes, on heels, on the outer ribs of the feet.
All exercises should be clearly shown to the child, and the child should repeat each of them several times. The exercises should be performed daily. The more often a child does them, the lower the risk of developing flat feet.
A healthy foot is a correct natural connection of the moving bones that make up the two arches. Thanks to this feature, the arches perform a shock-absorbing function during human movements and help relieve stress on the legs.
It happens that as a result of some factors or due to congenital defects, the foot becomes flat and almost completely comes into contact with the floor surface. According to statistics, among the adult population, flat feet occur in women 4 times more often than in men.
Scientists believe that the reason for this lies in weaker muscles and ligaments of the foot, to which is added the love of women for uncomfortable high-heeled shoes.
It should be noted that flat feet are fraught with the following diseases: osteochondrosis, spinal curvature of varying degrees, arthritis, migraines. All these are the consequences of flat feet.
The manifestation of the disease is fraught with sensations of pain and discomfort while walking and at rest.
As the disease is ignored, a person brings it to the final stage, when effective treatment becomes almost impossible.
In the final stages, a person begins to complain about many unpleasant sensations at once, and even whole body malfunctions:
The main reasons for the development of flat feet in children and adults are:
Flat feet can cause many serious problems, in addition to pain, discomfort and the inability to wear your favorite shoes. In particular, flat feet often cause the appearance of other, more dangerous diseases:
Flat feet of any type respond well to treatment if it is carried out in the early stages of the disease. The most effective treatment methods are:
As it always happens, a person lives his life, does not bother, and suddenly, out of the blue, he begins to get sick. It doesn't matter what. This could be the spine, stomach or joints.
Doctors treat, the patient takes pills, but there is no use, the disease does not go away. This is due to the fact that the consequences and symptoms are often treated, and not the cause, which can be very difficult to determine.
And the cause of these and many other diseases is often ordinary flat feet.
Let's study the “experimental” in more detail and find out how to treat flat feet and how it affects the human body
Flat feet is a very insidious disease. It almost doesn't show itself until it's too late. Normally, the profile of our foot is an arc, both in the transverse (at the base of the toes) and longitudinal sections (the inside of the foot).
When flat feet develop, the foot flattens and the arch of the foot drops down. If the arch straightens along the foot, then we speak of longitudinal flatfoot, and if it is transverse, then such flatfoot is called transverse.
It would seem, well, I’ll straighten up and okay, I’ll stand more stable, but no, just the opposite.
The main purpose of the foot in our body is to absorb and absorb shock loads that occur when walking or running. Feet can be compared to shock absorbers in a car.
What happens if the shock absorbers in a car fail? All the bumps on the road begin to affect the interior of the car and subject it to significant wear, the car’s handling deteriorates, it shakes on the road, metal tears, nuts fall off...
A normally functioning foot absorbs approximately 2/3 of the shock loads a person receives when walking or running.
With flat feet, the impact on the joints and spine increases significantly and all the blows received during movement, only slightly softened, reach the brain and shake it thoroughly. This is where headaches come from.
In the human body, the shock-absorbing functions of “non-working” feet are forced to take over the spine and all joints of the legs.
As a result, the joints begin to wear out, hurt and we get arthrosis, osteoarthritis and pelvic diseases, and the spine, compensating for the increased and unusual loads on it, trying with its last strength to protect the brain from unnecessary traumatic effects, begins to bend, which leads to scoliosis, osteochondrosis , radiculitis develops and intervertebral hernias occur. All parts of our body are very closely connected with our spine, and any disorders caused by flat feet inevitably begin to affect the functioning of all internal organs, as a result of which diseases arise that, at first glance, are not related to the musculoskeletal system.
Flat feet cause various problems with coordination of movements and balance; lameness develops over time, and all this is further aggravated by stagnation of blood in the legs, leading to such a terrible disease as varicose veins. Due to problems with blood flow in the legs, the cardiovascular system also begins to malfunction. And this is far from a complete list of all the consequences of developed longitudinal or transverse flat feet.
This is how it turns out, a cause-and-effect chain. It would seem that a small defect in one organ entails a malfunction in all other parts of the body.
And the most unpleasant thing in all this is that a person thinks about the problem only when the spine and joints begin to hurt, which means longitudinal, transverse or even a combination of them, which is called longitudinal-transverse flatfoot, has already developed and the springing functions inherent in nature do not work feet.
I hope I have convinced you that flat feet are a very serious disease and its timely diagnosis is extremely important.
Before I teach you how to diagnose this disease in yourself, let’s try to understand the reasons for its occurrence.
Basically, flat feet are acquired, for a variety of reasons, and this disease can develop at any age. Congenital flatfoot is a rather rare phenomenon, and nothing can be done about it; unfortunately, it cannot be prevented, unlike acquired flatfoot.
Acquired flat feet are of three types
Paralytic flatfoot occurs due to paralysis of the foot muscles, which is caused by polio.
The decrease in bone strength resulting from rickets leads to rickets flatfoot.
The cause of traumatic flatfoot, as the name implies, is various types of injuries and fractures of the bones of the foot, as well as damage to the soft tissues directly associated with it.
But still, the main reason for the appearance of flat feet is our unhealthy lifestyle: low physical activity, leading to weakening of the muscles that support the foot, obesity, high-heeled shoes, work associated with prolonged standing.
How to determine flat feet? The signs and symptoms of flat feet listed below do not make it possible to unambiguously diagnose the presence of this disease in you, but are a reason to consult a doctor.
The most accurate method today is radiographic examination.
I myself went through it at one time, since I am the “lucky” owner of this disease. During the examination, several photographs are taken (of the foot with and without weight-bearing) and based on the results, the doctor makes a diagnosis and determines the degree of flatfoot.
The most difficult thing to determine is the first degree of flat feet, due to the fact that there are no external changes yet and the arch of the foot has not yet flattened.
Nowadays, the question of how flat feet affects health is very relevant. Pain, swelling, ligament damage and an unsightly gait are the minimum problems that flat feet guarantee. With flat feet, the skeletal system is damaged.
This entails the appearance of edema, which, in turn, damages blood vessels and nerve fibers. If all these symptoms progress, the person faces immobilization.
The shock-absorbing function of the foot is impaired due to flat feet.
To eliminate extreme stress on the feet, the weight is distributed to other parts of the body. Because of this, a person leans forward when walking. Over time, more and more parts of the body suffer from flat feet.
This disease is also dangerous for children, because their skeletal system is not yet formed. With flat feet in children, bone deformation occurs.
Therefore, it is necessary to start treatment on time so as not to start the disease.
With transverse flatfoot, the bones fan out and the big toe deviates. Such flat feet are detected at approximately 40 years of age. With longitudinal flatfoot, the foot increases in length and begins to completely touch the floor.
This can be affected by excess body weight. It is discovered at about 20 years of age. Flat feet can be congenital. But due to the fact that almost all children under 6 years old have signs of flat feet, it is very difficult to detect.
Traumatic flat feet can be caused by any injury to the foot or leg. And after polio, paralytic flat feet can develop.
It has this name because as it progresses it can turn into paralysis of the foot muscles.
The cause of flat feet can also be a disease such as rickets, which destroys human bones. This occurs due to the fragility and fragility of the bones.
Static flat feet are the most common. It occurs due to weak muscles and bones of the foot. Lack of necessary physical exercise or standing work are prerequisites for the appearance of this type of flatfoot.
The onset of flat foot development is characterized by pain, which can be caused by long walks and a hard day at work. To relieve pain, just lie down with your legs raised up.
The first degree is characterized by: fatigue, swelling and pain during physical impact on the feet. Second degree: the foot finally becomes flat, severe pain, difficulty walking.
Third degree: very severe pain and swelling, headache and back pain, reduced ability to work, difficulty walking, use of orthopedic shoes, the appearance of calluses and deformities. Symptoms of flat feet:
One common misconception about flat feet is that it is a childhood disease. It comes from the fact that in children it is difficult to discern whether they have this disease or not. This happens because children's legs are not fully formed.
This is incorrect, since flat feet are more often an acquired disease than a congenital one. The converse statement that flat feet is an exclusively hereditary disease that cannot be avoided is also false.
The structure of the leg, that is, initially weak muscles, can be passed on by heredity, but this absolutely does not mean that if the elders have a history of flat feet, children will definitely suffer from it.
If older relatives have flat feet, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the child’s feet.
Flat feet are a disease exclusively for overweight people. Indeed, excess weight is a common cause of flat feet, but it cannot be said that it develops only in obese people. Thin people also have flat feet.
It often develops as a result of wearing uncomfortable shoes. Flat feet developed during pregnancy are a temporary problem. Flat feet may appear during pregnancy, but they will not go away on their own.
If the disease appears, it must be treated.
Flat feet is not a terrible disease without consequences. Under no circumstances should this disease be started. If flat foot is left untreated, it can have serious consequences.
Osteochondrosis, varicose veins and many other diseases of the musculoskeletal system may develop. It is also incorrect to say that flat feet cannot affect other parts of the body.
The progression of pes planus can cause diseases throughout the body.
Many people believe that you can’t play sports if you’re sick. Naturally, if you have third-degree leg disease, sports are contraindicated. But in case of illness in the early stages, sport can even be useful.
The main thing is to choose the right set of exercises. Jogging helps prevent foot disease. There is a “kernel of truth” in this statement. The trick is choosing the right shoes.
If sports shoes are chosen incorrectly, then jogging will not bring anything good. Only narrow shoes can serve as a source of foot disease. Wide shoes can also harm your feet.
When walking, shoes should fit your feet comfortably and not let them dangle from side to side.
If you experience mild leg fatigue, the first thing you should do is run to the doctor and get checked for flat feet. In adults, an examination such as an x-ray is used for this. Thanks to it, you can find out information about the presence of the disease and, if present, its degree.
It is better not to use this study for children, as it affects the entire body too much. Flat feet greatly affects the joints and spine. When the soles of the feet are heavily loaded, the overall weight of the body puts increased pressure on the knees and hips.
This occurs to compensate for stability and leads to arthrosis.
Foot disease affects a person's health in general and especially the spine. Excessive pressure placed on the back can lead to a hernial protrusion.
And this, in turn, leads to pain in the buttocks, legs and back. At the same time, flat feet threaten the development of osteochondrosis, scoliosis and spondylosis. These diseases appear in a group.
They form following growths on the bones, muscle inflammation and impaired blood supply.
The appearance of osteochondrosis threatens the development of radiculitis in the future. Sciatica is a well-known “joy”. At the slightest movement, severe pain appears, which limits movement. And in complex forms, a person cannot move at all.
When flat feet and poor nutrition are combined, frequent swelling is possible at the end of the day. This happens because muscle strength is weakened due to lack of protein and active mobility. Flat feet threaten women with the inability to walk in heels.
If you have flat feet, it is difficult to stand firmly in high shoes. Even a minor injury causes swelling and severe pain. Choosing the wrong shoes for flat feet can cause severe pain in the legs and back, curvature of the spine and poor posture.
With flat feet, hernias, arthrosis and arthritis often appear.
Adults often have kidney failure as a consequence of flat feet.
This occurs because changes in the legs lead to dilation of the veins, which in turn leads to blood stagnation and additional stress on the kidneys. So, flat feet have a very bad effect on overall health.
Firstly, it leads to dysfunction of internal organs. Secondly, it is a prerequisite for the development of other, more serious diseases.
Flat feet is a disease of the foot in which it becomes flat and loses its shock-absorbing properties. When walking, the entire weight of a person rests on the foot. Thanks to its ligaments and tendons, the foot softens the load, thereby reducing the impact on the legs and spine.
Normally, the foot has two arches - longitudinal and transverse .
The longitudinal one runs along the inner edge of the foot, normally forming a noticeable depression, and the transverse one - in the area of the toes.
Based on this, flatfoot can be longitudinal (smoothing of the longitudinal arch), transverse (smoothing of the transverse arch) and mixed (when both arches are smoothed).
When flat feet occur, the foot is unable to absorb the load from walking and running, and this work is redistributed to the joints of the legs (ankle, knee, hip) and the spine. Additional stress on these areas leads to greater wear and tear, and as a result, diseases.
Depending on the time of its occurrence, flat feet can be congenital or acquired. Congenital flatfoot is associated with various disorders of intrauterine development, weakness of connective tissue (tendons, ligaments) or lower leg muscles.
Acquired flatfoot can develop at any age and can be associated with the following reasons:
There are also many reasons that can contribute to the occurrence of flat feet. Among them:
Considering the norms and rhythm of modern life, almost every person is exposed to one or more risk factors for developing flat feet, and everyone has experienced the first symptoms of this disease.
What signs may indicate the onset of the disease?
Of course, these symptoms can also occur with other foot conditions, but you can very easily check for yourself whether you have arch problems. To do this, you just need to put your feet wet or greased with any fat on a clean sheet of paper.
Normally there should be a mark from the heel, toe, toes and a thin line along the outer edge, and there should be a clean area where the inside of the foot should be. If there is an imprint of the entire foot or most of it, you should consult a doctor for a consultation.
It is very important to suspect and recognize flat feet in the early stages of development, as this significantly affects the scope and effectiveness of subsequent treatment.
The very first manifestations of flat feet - increased fatigue and pain in the legs in the evening, occur even before changes in the structure of the foot.
At this stage, the disease is most treatable and completely reversible.
In the following stages, swelling occurs, the plasticity of the gait decreases, and the arches of the feet gradually smooth out. Next, the knee joints are involved in the process, and then the entire leg and spine.
Symptoms of varicose veins of the lower extremities are added: swelling, pain, burning sensation, heaviness, itching, visually protruding, blue veins, as well as back pain, especially in the lumbar region.
The foot is noticeably deformed, the big toe deviates significantly outward.
At these stages, the disease is no longer curable, only a reduction in symptoms is possible.
In addition, if flat feet have already begun, it will progress quite quickly, and the effectiveness of treatment and the patient’s quality of life depend on the timeliness of diagnosis.
If you suspect flat feet, you should consult an orthopedic doctor.
During the consultation, the doctor examines the anatomical structure of the foot, its functional state, tone and elasticity of the muscular-ligamentous apparatus. X-rays of the feet will allow you to judge the condition of the bone part of the foot.
Based on the data obtained, a diagnosis of flat feet, the stage of the disease and subsequent treatment tactics can be established.
A complete cure for flat feet is possible only in childhood, since at this age all tissues of the body are quite elastic and recover well.
Starting from 13–14 years of age, the frequency of relapses (resumption of the disease after recovery) increases significantly, therefore, even after the end of treatment, exacerbation prevention should be constantly carried out.
Treatment of flat feet should be comprehensive, aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease, eliminating symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life.
The basis of treatment for flat feet is therapeutic correction, gymnastics, the purpose of which is to strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the arch of the foot to correct its shape, position, and form the correct gait. It is important that a doctor monitors the correctness of the exercises for some time and corrects errors in a timely manner.
A necessary component of treatment is the elimination of disorders throughout the spine. In severe cases of the disease, with serious deformities of the fingers, severe pain, surgical treatment of flat feet is indicated for patients.
Flat feet is a disease that is unpleasant in its manifestations and dangerous in its consequences, disorders of the entire musculoskeletal system, do not forget to take care of the health of your feet.
When answering the question of why flat feet are dangerous, it is difficult to describe all the complications that this pathology causes in the body. Let's focus only on the most common of them.
The main complaints of adults with flattened feet in the initial stages are pain and swelling. Pain is caused by damage to the ligaments, muscles and skeletal system.
Against this background, swelling appears, which compresses other anatomical structures of the foot (vessels and nerve fibers).
The increase in these changes threatens a person with limited mobility.
However, the symptoms described above are the minimum that flatfoot threatens, since as the pathology progresses, the “interest” of other organs in compensating for the pathology increases.
For children, flat feet are no less dangerous. Over the course of ten years, the child’s skeletal system is formed. To prevent bone deformation, it is necessary to identify changes in time.
Up to 6 years of age, it is still possible to effectively correct the pathology, but if it is detected at a later age, you can only strengthen the ligaments and muscles so that they can maintain the arch in a normal position.
When legs get tired quickly, the first thing a person needs to do is check for a flat arch. For this purpose, radiographic examination can be used in adults.
It can be used to calculate the arch angle that forms between the heel and the wedge-navicular joint of the front of the foot. If it is widened, the doctor diagnoses a certain degree of flatfoot.
In children under 12 years of age, it is better not to use radiography because of its harmful effects on the body.
The consequences of flat feet primarily affect the joints and spinal column.
In the first case, due to excess load with increased pressure on the soles of the lower extremities, the body weight is distributed to the knee and hip to compensate for stability.
If this condition continues for a long time, the reserve capacity of the joints is not enough.
In children, the pathology can be recognized even before obvious symptoms appear if both parents have the disease. In such a situation, its development can be programmed (passed on by inheritance), but the probability of genetic determination is small (about 3%).
Flat feet affect the entire body and threaten spinal curvature
Flat feet lead to problems with the spine due to the need to maintain the shock-absorbing function of the latter.
Initially, the intervertebral discs experience excess pressure. This is dangerous because their cartilaginous structure can break through and form a hernial protrusion.
It compresses the nerve endings, so the person will experience pain in the gluteal region, lower extremities, and also in the back.
Along with damage to the cartilage disc, flat feet threaten osteochondrosis, scoliosis and spondylosis .
This group of diseases is joint and is formed following a violation of the blood supply, inflammatory changes in the muscular-ligamentous apparatus, and bone growths.
At the slightest attempt to straighten up or lift a weight, radiculitis or “lumbago” occurs.
Most people know what the risk of radiculitis is - if you turn the body carelessly, the vertebrae “wedge”, so acute pain occurs that does not allow you to move.
With pathology, a person “freezes” in a forced position. Of course, sciatica is a problem for adults. It rarely appears in children.
The combination of a flat foot with scoliosis causes changes in the formation of the musculo-ligamentous apparatus of the entire body. Against this background, sudden attacks of loss of consciousness due to lack of oxygen in the brain are not uncommon.
A poor quality diet has a negative impact on the consequences of flat feet. In children, active mobility combined with a lack of protein leads to weakening muscle strength. It's no wonder your child's feet swell at the end of the day.
With flat feet, a woman will never be able to walk in high heels. Due to pathology, the heel support shifts to a horizontal surface.
The heel bone is located on the side of the sole, so a woman cannot walk steadily in high shoes.
Moreover, even a minor injury causes severe pain and increased swelling.
Choosing the wrong shoes can lead to other complications. Violation of the shock-absorbing function affects the appearance of curvature of the spine, poor posture, pain in the legs and back. That is why doctors often diagnose hernias, arthritis and arthrosis in adults with flat feet.
In a small child with a flattened foot, the ligamentous apparatus functions poorly, but a significant part of the shock-absorbing load is taken on by the subcutaneous fatty tissue, which in them prevents damage to the anatomical structures of the foot until the child learns to walk.
If children have poorly developed ligamentous apparatus after 2 years, problems may arise with the choice of shoes. In such cases, doctors will prescribe orthopedic insoles.
One of the main consequences of pathology in children is a violation of rolling. When walking, the child will rely on the heel, which will lead to further progression of the pathology. A “shuffling gait” becomes a reliable confirmation of the disease.
Thus, congenital and acquired flat feet have a bad effect on the formation of the foot in children and adults. In the first case, gross changes in internal organs develop, and in the second, the basis is created for the development of other diseases over time.
Slouching in a child becomes a natural consequence of the long-term existence of a flat arch. Remember: flat feet can be prevented at a young age, but it is almost impossible to completely cure the disease in adults.
Impaired shock-absorbing abilities of the foot, or, simply put, flat feet are subconsciously perceived as a childhood disease. And to some extent this is true. Doctors talk a lot about the prevention of childhood flat feet, and most parents are concerned about this issue.
However, in adulthood, this disease is no less common, it just attracts much less attention. Even the appearance of painful sensations in the feet, swollen ankles and the formation of bone calluses (“bumps”) do not always force a person to seek medical help.
Many habitually attribute all this to overwork and age-related changes, without even trying to somehow improve their condition.
The result of this attitude towards one’s health is not only unpleasant symptoms and forced limitation of mobility, but also all new diseases of the musculoskeletal system, blood vessels, etc.
The human foot is a very complex bioengineered device.
Its bones are connected to each other by especially strong ligaments in such a way that a vaulted support is formed, which softens shocks when walking (shock absorbs), allows us, without thinking, to maintain balance in an upright position (balances) and move at different speeds (push function). But all this is possible only if the structure of the foot is not changed, and 2 longitudinal (along the outer and inner edges) and one transverse (between the bases of the toes) arches are preserved. The shape of the foot is supported not only by bones, but also by ligaments and muscles.
Unfortunately, not everyone has a completely healthy (correct) foot, because... There are many factors that cause the flattening of its arches.
Depending on the causes of development, it is customary to distinguish several types of flat feet:
Whatever the reasons for flat feet, the mechanism of its development is almost the same.
With prolonged excessive load, the arches of the feet are constantly under strain and gradually begin to weaken (sink), about which the brain immediately receives a signal from peripheral receptors.
The response to this is a compensating tension in the foot muscles, which try to hold the structure in the desired position, but for a long time there is not enough muscle effort, and the entire load falls on the ligaments.
If the action of the deforming load continues, the ligaments also gradually stretch, and the bones of the foot remain without any support, i.e. irreversible changes develop.
The foot loses its shock-absorbing abilities, but the development of flat feet does not end there. Over time, bone outgrowths (“spurs”, “bones”, etc.) form in places of greatest pressure, and the ankle, knee and hip joints (as well as the spine) try to compensate for the inevitable shocks during movement.
Since they are not adapted to this, they very quickly begin to be damaged, and, in addition to flat feet, a person develops all kinds of arthritis, osteoarthrosis and osteochondrosis.
Flat feet, like many other diseases, practically do not manifest themselves for some time.
The first symptoms that a person himself may notice are rapid fatigue when walking and working on his feet, swelling of the feet and ankles in the evenings, pain and a feeling of heaviness after a working day, a worn inner edge at the sole of a shoe or heel, an increase in the width of the foot, discomfort when wearing high-heeled shoes.
Depending on the severity and severity of symptoms, several stages of flat feet are distinguished:
There are several persistent misconceptions regarding flat feet in children.
So, for example, it is believed that in a child under 5–6 years old, flat feet cannot be diagnosed and treated, and under 3 years old such a disease cannot exist at all, and all existing changes are normal and will go away with age.
This is a rather dangerous mistake that provokes parents into passive waiting. As a result, the most optimal period is often missed when it would be relatively easy to correct the deformity and maintain the health of the musculoskeletal system.
It is until the age of 5–6 years, when the baby’s bones continue to actively grow and develop, and the ossification points are not closed, that special attention must be paid to the condition of the child’s feet.
This is especially true for periods of active growth of the body (3 and 6 months, as well as the beginning of the 1st, 3rd and 5th year of life). At such moments, children with a congenital predisposition increase the risk of developing static deformity, because the ligaments are still very elastic and extensible, and muscle strength is not enough to compensate for the increasing load.
A doctor’s consultation is also necessary if the child quickly gets tired of walking and begins to ask to be held, tramples the inner edge of the shoes, and the baby’s heels slightly “fall” to the side when he stands.
The basis of treatment for flat feet is special therapeutic exercises, which the patient must independently perform daily at home. The gymnastic complex is prescribed only by the attending physician, taking into account the shape and position of the foot, the main symptoms of the disease and the age of the patient.
To maintain muscle tone and restore blood circulation, massage of the feet and legs, therapeutic foot baths and physiotherapy (electrophoresis and phonophoresis) are very useful.
The use of orthopedic insoles plays a major role in the prevention and treatment of flat feet.
They are able to perform shock-absorbing functions, relieve painful areas of the foot, return it to its correct position, and, in the initial stages of the disease, correct any deformities that have arisen.
For advanced forms of flat feet, as well as for the treatment of the disease in children in the first years of life, special orthopedic shoes are used - special boots with high lacing, a solid sole and lateral support for the foot.
If all these methods do not bring the desired result, and the patient continues to complain of severe pain when walking or significant deformation of the thumb joints, surgical treatment may be recommended. But even in this case, after the operation the patient is prescribed a course of maintenance therapy, because Flat feet is a chronic disease.