Parents always treat their child with trepidation, try to give the child the best and protect him from possible troubles. The crumb grows, discovers new things for itself every day, takes the first steps. The joy of the toddler's success is often mixed with the parents' worries about the health of the baby's legs.
Carefully examining the baby's foot, you can see the almost complete absence of a characteristic notch. But does this indicate a common disease, flat feet, or is it a feature of childhood? How to suspect an illness and what should be done so that the baby never hears a formidable diagnosis?
What is flat feet?
Flat feet - a disease of the musculoskeletal system, manifested in a change in the configuration of the bones of the foot, flattening of its arch. The bend in the sole is necessary for the correct distribution of the load, shock absorption when running, jumping, walking. If there is no notch, the foot cannot perform its function. The load on the knee and hip joints, leg muscles, spine increases, and internal organs are damaged.
How does the foot develop?
Due to physiological characteristics, the sole in children remains absolutely flat until the age of two. The bones of the crumbs are not sufficiently mineralized, and at the place of the deepening there is adipose tissue, a special "pad", which replaces the arch of the foot for the children. Starting from 2 - 3 years, the child grows and develops rapidly, the muscles become stronger, and the ligaments become strong, the shape of the foot changes.
It is possible to diagnose "acquired flat feet" only at the age of 4 - 5 years. Until this point, experts refer to the flattening of the foot as physiological.
If the baby develops according to the calendar, learns new skills on time, and his daily physical activity is varied, then there are no problems with the formation of the correct arch. To strengthen the muscles of the foot and develop them evenly, the baby should do a variety of physical exercises every day.
It is not necessary to use special complexes to train the muscles of the legs of a child. It is enough to allow the baby to run, jump, walk on heels and on toes, walk barefoot. The main enemy of the correct formation of the muscles of the foot is walking on a flat surface.
Causes of flat feet
According to statistics, about 3% of all cases of the disease are determined in the maternity hospital. Already in the first day after birth, an experienced specialist can notice signs of congenital flat feet. The causes of this pathology are varied and are always associated with hereditary underdevelopment of muscles, bones and joints of the feet.
Acquired flat feet usually occurs with a combination of several factors, internal causes, and adverse environmental conditions.
Factors contributing to the development of flat feet:
- Heredity.The disease often occurs in children with a burdened hereditary history. In such families, they know firsthand about the disease and its unpleasant symptoms. The risk of developing an ailment in a baby is high if close relatives have cases of flat feet.
- Weakness of the ligamentous-muscular apparatus.Underdeveloped muscles cannot withstand the increasing load on them, this leads to a flattening of the inner part of the sole. Often, children have other signs of connective tissue deficiency. A detailed examination reveals additional chords in the heart, an inflection of the gallbladder, myopia and other pathologies.
- High load on the legs.For hereditary predisposition to be realized, certain conditions are needed. In the modern world, children spend less and less time actively moving, much attention is paid to study and the computer. Rare and heavy loads on the legs, long walking or standing, lead to the omission of the weak arch of the foot. The increased body weight of the child also refers to the prerequisites for the development of flat feet.
- Foot injuries.Damage to the bones of the foot increases the risk of developing the disease. Especially dangerous are cases when the bones have grown together incorrectly, as a result of which the load cannot be evenly distributed.
- Rickets.In this disease, there is a violation of the formation of all bone tissue of the body, including the feet. Insufficiently strong bones, weakened muscles and ligaments do not physically support the weight of the child's body. The foot is deformed, flattened.
- Neurological pathology.
Diseases that lead to paralysis of the muscles of the foot entail flat feet. Poliomyelitis and cerebral palsy cause paralytic flat feet and muscle damage to the ankle.
Depending on the cause of the deformity of the foot, experts distinguish 4 types of flat feet in children:
- spastic;
- traumatic;
- rickety;
- paralytic.
Depending on how exactly the arch of the foot "lost" its height, medical specialists distinguish several variants of the disease:
- longitudinal flat feet.
The foot goes down along its length, the sole is almost completely in contact with the floor. An increase in foot size occurs and clubfoot occurs. At the same time, the pain in the feet is significantly pronounced, it becomes difficult for the child to wear ordinary shoes;
- transverse.
In this case, there is a flattening of the transverse arch of the foot, the leg expands, and the toes are often deformed and become hammer-like. The kid complains of pain in the anterior part of the sole, rapid fatigue, the formation of calluses;
- longitudinal-transverse.
This deformity is considered a combination of transverse and longitudinal flat feet. Both arches of the foot are flattened, the foot expands, becomes "flattened", gait is disturbed;
- valgus.
The most common type of flatfoot in children, it combines a flat foot and light clubfoot. It is considered a physiological condition up to 2 years old and does not require specific treatment, only preventive measures are enough. At an older age, it indicates the need to consult a specialist to monitor the development of the child's foot.
Symptoms of flat feet
In addition to external manifestations associated with the type of disease, parents should pay attention to the child's characteristic complaints:
- rapid fatigue during physical exertion;
- aching pain in the legs during static loads;
- swelling of the legs, increasing in the evening;
- when examining crumbs shoes, the worn inner side of the sole is found;
- the child bends his legs when walking, turning his feet inward;
- crooked toes, ingrown nails, calluses on the sole.
Doctors distinguish between several degrees of flat feet, depending on the severity of the main symptoms:
- Slight deformation.If a child has 1 degree of the disease, then the pathology does not bring a significant violation of the condition. Perhaps a feeling of fatigue in the feet with serious physical exertion, moderate gait disturbance. When pressing on the arch of the foot, the baby notices the appearance of pain.
- Moderate flat feet.The second degree of the disease is characterized by more pronounced changes. Parents pay attention to the flattening, expansion or lengthening of the foot, the disappearance of the arches. The baby complains of pain in the legs, even with a little load. Often, painful sensations spread to the knee joints. Thus, gait changes, clubfoot may occur, or heaviness during movement may be noted.
- Severe deformity of the foot.A diagnosis of grade 3 flat feet indicates serious health problems in the child. The foot is completely deformed, which entails disruption of the entire musculoskeletal system. The kid notes severe soreness in the feet, joints, lower back, spine with little physical exertion.
If the first symptoms of the disease are ignored and there is no adequate treatment, flat feet easily progresses and leads to damage to many organs and systems.
Diagnosis of flat feet in children
The definition of congenital flat feet occurs even in the maternity hospital, then the baby is consulted by a pediatrician, pediatric orthopedist. From the first days of life, the baby is prescribed specialized treatment aimed at forming the arch of the foot.
With acquired flat feet, the situation is different, because all children under 5 years old have a characteristic flattening of the foot. Often there are options for overdiagnosis, when a child with a physiologically flat sole is exposed to a complex diagnosis and appropriate treatment is prescribed.
Therefore, it is important to consult a specialist for a full examination and determination of pathology. The doctor will examine the baby's legs, measure the length and width of the foot, determine the bends of the sole, and the range of motion. The revealing of the features of shoe wear, which indicate an uneven distribution of the load on the sole, is indicative.
There are objective methods for diagnosing the disease:
- Plantography.With the help of this study, an imprint of the sole is obtained on paper. To do this, they smear the crumbs' feet with various dyes and ask the child to leave a mark on the sheet. Applying the method, ask the baby to take a normal position, stand up straight. The load should be evenly distributed on both legs. It is inadmissible to "roll" the foot from side to side, increased pressure on the leg. This study is widely known and easily applied in practice, so many parents try to do it at home. But with the assessment of the results of the method, difficulties are possible, because the foot grows and changes its shape, and for each age there are different norms. In medical institutions there is a special device - a plantograph, thanks to which the degree of foot deformation is more accurately determined. And with the help of an electronic plantograph, you can not only make an imprint of the sole, but also get an image of the lateral and back surfaces of the foot. The obtained data remain in the memory of the device, during repeated examinations the doctor monitors the dynamics of the disease, the effectiveness of treatment.
- Podometry.It will help in determining the diagnosis and measuring the parameters of the foot with the calculation of the Friedland index. For this, the length and height of the foot are determined, their ratio is multiplied by 100 and the result is evaluated. The index value is considered normal in the range from 29 to 31%.
- Podography.This study helps to determine how the load on the foot is distributed during movement, to study the biomechanics of walking. The kid is put on special shoes and asked to walk along a metal path. The specialist evaluates the child's gait, how the roll occurs over the heel, calculates the coefficient of gait rhythm.
- Electromyography.By measuring the bioelectric activity of the muscles of the foot and lower leg, their condition can be determined. This method helps to more accurately identify the severity of flat feet, damage to the muscular system.
- X-ray examination.X-ray examination remains a simple and proven method for diagnosing flat feet. With the help of X-ray results, you can indicate the type and degree of the disease, observe changes in the baby's condition, and evaluate the treatment results. The study is carried out in the position of a static load, in 2 projections - front and side.
Flatfoot treatment
If the baby was born with manifestations of the disease, do not despair. Although the disease is more severe than the acquired form, you can still get rid of the trouble. To correct the shape of the foot, doctors resort to applying plaster casts and then replacing them. In the case of a severe form of the disease, surgical intervention is not excluded.
Acquired flat feet are treated with other methods aimed at normalizing the tone of the muscles of the foot, shaping the bend of the sole:
Physiotherapy
Correct physical activity is the most effective method in treating flat feet. Through the implementation of simple exercises, the muscles of the foot are toned, creating an arch. The selected exercises should be repeated several times a day, after warming up the joints by kneading.
The complex of remedial gymnastics necessarily includes movements of the toes, rotation of the foot, walking on different surfaces of the sole and other exercises. A good effect is the rotation of tennis balls with the foot, exercise on the wall bars.
You can use special rugs for flat feet, spreading them out at home, for example, in the hallway. Your baby will walk over uneven surfaces many times during the day, thereby stimulating the muscles in the feet. It is possible to make a rug at home, using available materials, various fabrics, buttons, sponges, pebbles.
Massage
Often, massage is prescribed in combination with gymnastic exercises, complementing them. Depending on the variant of the disease, you may need both complex procedures - a full body massage, and an isolated foot massage. During treatment, blood circulation in the muscles improves, their development is stimulated.
Therapeutic massage is a medical manipulation that can have both a relaxing and a stimulating, tonic effect. Therefore, the session should be performed by a specialist who understands the cause of the disease.
Physiotherapy methods
Indicated for moderate to severe illness, these methods help get rid of painful sensations, improve blood circulation and strengthen the muscles of the feet. Shock wave and magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, applications with ozokerite and paraffin are widely used.
Specialized shoes and insoles
The question of whether shoes are needed for the treatment of flat feet is considered by an orthopedic doctor. At the first signs of illness, the doctor may recommend limiting yourself to a special insole that forms the arch of the foot and reduces unwanted loads. If the symptoms of the disease are severe, the doctor will advise you to purchase custom-made shoes and wear them at all times.
Flat feet treatment insoles must be custom-made to prevent other deformities of the foot.
Any disease is easier to avoid than to cure, and you need to take care of the health of your feet from birth. After all, the development of the baby's muscular system largely depends on the child's lifestyle.
Prevention of flat feet
- various physical activity.Allow your child to lead an active life, this will improve his physical and neuropsychic development. Such sports as swimming, jogging, walking, with moderate loads on the lower extremities, perfectly prevent flat feet. Ballet, figure skating, ice skating should be abandoned at the first signs of illness;
- the right shoes.An orthopedic problem can be triggered by the constant wearing of uncomfortable shoes. The requirements for the quality of children's shoes are high. The product must be made of high quality, natural materials. It is desirable to have a small heel and a flexible, thin sole that fixes the ankle joint of the back, instep support.
You can determine the length of the insole when choosing shoes by measuring the distance from the child's toes to the heel, and adding 0.5 - 1 cm. But it is better not to make a purchase without trying on. The child should feel comfortable in new shoes at once, be able to wiggle all fingers.
- walking barefoot.An excellent way to prevent ailment is to allow your baby to walk without shoes on grass, sand, and uneven surfaces.Of course, do not forget about the safety rules and check the coverage first;
- proper nutrition.The kid should receive foods rich in calcium and phosphorus every day, regularly be in the fresh air. Walking not only helps the development of the baby's muscular system, but also promotes the absorption of calcium, thanks to the formation of vitamin D.
Conclusion
The activity of modern children is decreasing every year. The guys began to spend more time in front of monitors or doing homework. But physical development is just as important as intellectual development, and keeping the child healthy is the main task of parents.
The baby may not know about many diseases if moms and dads have taken simple measures to prevent diseases. Such diseases include flat feet, which is a kind of payment for living in comfortable conditions, low physical activity. In most cases, it is easy to prevent the disease, it is enough to know the causes of the development of the disease and lead a healthy lifestyle.
