When a child is born, his body is very different from the adult. The main differences relate to those traits that a person acquires due to orthostatism (the vertical position of the body in space) - posture and arch of the feet. They begin to form simultaneously with the first attempts to stand on the legs, in order to balance the load on the musculoskeletal system as much as possible. That is, children are born with a physiological flat foot, which, as the baby develops, disappears. But what if the baby develops a flat-lingual deformity of the foot to 4-5, that is, by the age of 4-5 the toddler drops his legs when walking?
If you are interested in what causes the formation of flat-footed foot in children, how to treat the most optimal, as well as examples of massage movements with flat-foot deformities in children - read our article.
Flat-footed feet for children - reasons
The causes of flatfoot are quite diverse, but, most importantly, to know that there is an innate and acquired form of this deformation of the foot. That is, until the age of three, you can talk about a flat-footed foot, only if your baby has a violent anomaly of the shape and location of the bones at the level of the foot.
After three years, a flat-footed foot in children develops due to weakness of the calf muscles, ligaments, which do not "hold" the arch in the optimal position. There is also a hereditary predisposition to this developmental defect. It can affect the abnormal development of the foot and the wearing of poor-quality footwear.
How to treat flat-footed feet?
Treatment of flat-footed foot depends on the nature of the pathology. In case of congenital deformity, treatment begins as early as possible - right up to the first months of life.
Treatment has two goals: correction of the defect and its fixation. For this it is necessary to go through all the following stages:
- Immobilization of the legs with a cast bandage, which will correct the shape of the leg. The orthopedist independently selects and models a bandage, depending on the degree of deviation from the norm and the type of deformation.
- After the first stage of correcting the flat foot deformity of the foot in children is completed, it is very important to start the massage in time, physiotherapy and kinetotherapeutic treatment. Thus, you fix the result.
- Further, it is important to keep the effect - with flat-foot deformity of the foot in children, it is necessary to wear special shoes. Sandals and boots should be to the level of the shin, and also have a supinator, that is, a hill on the inside of the foot. By and large, you can wear any high shoes, but insert a flat-wool insole into it.
In the case of acquired deformity, usually the doctor recommends only the last two items from the list that is given above. But, depending on the neglect of the situation.
Exercises with a flat-footed foot
As we mentioned above, kinetotherapy plays a very important role in the treatment of flat-toothed feet in children. Physical exercises help to strengthen the calf muscles, thereby contributing to the normal formation of the arch of the foot. Next, we will give examples of exercises with a flat-footed foot, which, together with your child, you can easily perform at home.
From standing position:
- Ask the child to alternately pull on the sock, at the same time, turning it inside.
- In turn, slide first with your right foot on the lower leg, covering it, then the same with your left foot.
From the sitting position:
- Ask the baby to bend the legs in the lap. Lift the heels, first together, then alternately.
- Alternately, bend the feet downwards.
- Ask the child to grab small items from the floor with his toes, and shift them. For this exercise, use balls, colored pencils.
After exercise, you need to relax the leg. Therefore, in the treatment of flat-footed feet in children, massage is very important.
Start with the stroking movements of the shin, gradually go to the foot.Go for more intense moves. To do this, massage all the leg muscles in a circular motion from the top down, following the same plan. First the muscles are calves, then the Achilles tendon, and the muscles of the foot.
It is important to note that it is better to entrust massage to a specialist, since in each individual case a special massage technique is used. In addition, sometimes it is contraindicated.
Be healthy!