Massage for flat feet in children

Most of the cases of children's flat feet can be corrected conservatively, without surgery. To do this, the child is prescribed a comprehensive treatment, which includes gymnastics and physiotherapy exercises, wearing orthopedic shoes or orthopedic insoles, as well as massage and self-massage of the feet. We will tell you about how to massage your child with foot deformity in this article.

Why is it needed

Massage with flat feet allows you to improve blood circulation in the lower extremities, relieve the load from some muscle groups and transfer it to others, strengthens the tendons and contributes to the formation of the correct position of the arch of the feet and metatarsal bones.

This is very important when correcting pathology. Professional therapeutic massage is expensive, and not all families can afford such courses, and with flat feet they are long. However, do not despair, because the technique of performing such a massage is not difficult, parents can master it on their own in order to conduct sessions comfortably at home without extra costs.

It is important to remember that massage should be done regularly. Better - courses of 14 days with intervals of 7-10 days.

The effect will be more pronounced if the massage sessions are combined with other methods of treating flat feet - wearing orthopedic insoles or special therapeutic shoe pairs, as well as physiotherapy sessions, gymnastics and correction of the child's nutrition.

Massage technique

The massage session should include techniques aimed at stimulating the muscles of the foot, lower leg, knee joint, thighs, buttocks. It is best to start the massage from the bottom and smoothly move up.

When carrying out massage manipulations on the lower extremities, it is important to remember that all adult movements should be directed from the bottom up, and not vice versa, so as not to disrupt the natural blood flow in the legs.

Foot

The heel is "equipped" by nature with thick and insensitive skin, and therefore intense deep pressure can be applied in the heel area, much more carefully massage the arch of the foot and toes, because deep pressing movements in this part of the legs can be quite painful.

Do not assume that a good massage should be painful. During the session, the child should not be uncomfortable or painful. The child's pain complaints are a signal for the masseur to change the degree of pressure on muscle tissues and tendons.

To massage your feet, you will need two small pillows or two rolled towels. One is placed under the foot, and the other under the knee joint. The child lies on his back or sits with his legs extended.

Reception 1. With clean, dry hands, gently rub the sides of your foot. Try to keep your arm movements synchronized.
Reception 2. One hand, clenched into a fist, rests on the foot, the other palm down presses the fist as tightly as possible to the foot. In this way, intense deep rubbing of the foot is performed in the direction from the toes to the heel and back. When passing the zone of the instep of the foot, the pressure should be slightly reduced so as not to cause pain.

Reception 3. The masseur's thumbs should be on the back of the foot, and the rest should be on the sole. They rub the back with their thumbs from the bottom up, and then begin to rub each finger, starting with the thumb and ending with the little finger.
Reception 4. Both the back of the foot and the sole should be rubbed in a clockwise circular motion.
Reception 5. The focus is on the heel. First, rub it intensively with your thumbs, and then begin to pinch the space around the heel in a circle.

Reception 6. With your index and middle fingers, move from the metatarsal bones to the ankle, stopping at the ankle and making light circular movements around it.
Reception 7. With soft vibrational taps, “walk” the entire sole - from toes to ankle.

At this point, the foot massage can be considered complete. The total duration of this stage is no more than 20 minutes. It's time to go higher.

Ankle and shin

It is important to perform all techniques carefully, especially the child has a tendency to seizures. Begin by lightly stroking the ankle and then the lower legs along the sides in an upward motion.

Reception 1. With your thumbs, rub the sides of your lower leg in an intense circular motion from bottom to top.
Reception 2. Use thumbs and forefingers to pinch the lower leg muscles.
Reception 3. Using the ribs of your palms, use sawing movements to rub the front of your lower leg.

The stage ends with soft vibrational tapping on the ankle and lower leg, stroking, which should completely relax the muscles. The duration of this stage is no more than 7-10 minutes.

Knee joint, hip

You should be extremely careful with the knee joint. The task of this massage stage is to redistribute the load, relieve tension from the ligaments of the knee and thigh muscles.

Reception 1. Massage the knee joint in a light circular motion clockwise, sliding your index and middle fingers gently around the kneecap.
Reception 2. In a circular motion, lightly rub the sides of the knee joint - the inner and outer parts.
Reception 3. Massage the thigh more intensively - with a deep kneading.

Finish the stage with soft vibrational tapping, stroking the front thigh muscles. The duration of the stage is no more than 5-10 minutes.

After that, the child changes his body position to horizontal on his stomach. Towel pads or rolls are placed under the foot and under the knee. Massage the feet again (in the described way), paying special attention to the Achilles tendon.

The shin is massaged, but not from the sides, but from the back, and the thigh. The massage is completed by kneading and vibrating tapping on the buttocks.

It is desirable to complete the massage with a contrasting foot bath. First, immerse the baby's feet in a bowl of warm water and gradually add cold water to it until the liquid in the bowl has cooled down completely. After that, intensively rub your feet and lower legs with a stiff foot towel.

After that, you can start acupressure using the massage mat.

An applicator mat for a flat-footed child should be more rigid than a preventive mat, with a more pronounced relief or a needle-like base.

On it you can perform a set of exercises in a standing position and in motion - walking on toes, on the heels, on the lateral surfaces of the foot.

In addition to improving blood circulation, during such "walks" barefoot on an uneven surface, active points are massaged, of which there are a lot on a person's foot.

Thus, the massage pad-applicator is not only a correction for flat feet, but also a general improvement of the child's body, intense impact on the work of internal organs, as well as the nervous system.

After gymnastics and acupressure, it makes sense to carry out a five-minute short final massage of the feet and lower legs, the purpose of which is to relax all muscle groups. This short exposure should contain gentle, gentle strokes, without intense deep exposure.

Useful Tips

Do not massage children under 3 years old. The exception is cases of congenital anomaly of the structure of the feet, but in this case the massage technique may differ from that described above, it is recommended individually, taking into account the degree of the nature of the deformity.
Massage in combination with other methods of conservative treatment gives the best results with longitudinal flat feet. Lateral is harder to override manually.
For massage, you can use massage oil or baby cream. The first warm light movements are best done with dry hands, but emollients and moisturizers will come in handy for deeper techniques.

Massage can be performed not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of flat feet in children and adolescents. Performing preventive massage, reduce the time of each stage of the session by half. For prevention, you should not massage more often 1-2 times a week.
If a child experiences pain, the session should be interrupted and returned to it only after the child is ready and calm. For younger children, it's wise to turn the mandatory procedure into a fun game.

Foot massagers

There are a wide variety of massagers for children's feet - from rather primitive mechanical devices to electronic devices, into which it is enough to immerse the feet and set the desired mode. Much depends on the family's income and how much they are willing to spend on the purchase of such a device.

It should be noted right away that simulators, even expensive and "smart" ones, are not able to replace manual massage, since they do not take into account the peculiarities of the structure of the foot, the shape and degree of deviation of the anatomy of the child's legs from the norm.

But the simulator can be of great help, especially for the treatment of adolescents. In addition to manual massage, the child will be able to use it, for example, while watching a movie or reading a book.

Contraindications

Massage for flat feet should not be performed if the child currently has injuries or damage to the skin of the lower extremities. Massage sessions are contraindicated for children with: