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Humans can take up to 20 steps a day. Nature made sure that the legs could withstand such a colossal load, and endowed them with special properties. The bones of the foot are arranged so that they form two arches: longitudinal and transverse. As a result, a kind of arch is formed, which is the shock absorber of human legs, distributing the load when walking. But sometimes this arch decreases or completely disappears and the foot is in full contact with the surface. This leads to serious damage to bones and joints.
Flat feet to some extent is considered normal for young children, as they are still growing, and the bones are just forming. Adults, on the other hand, are often diagnosed with flat feet when they come in with complaints of pain in their legs.
Problems with feet with flat feet are often noticeable even to the naked eye. This is a curvature of the toes, a bump at the big toe, a wider foot, corns and calluses.
What is flatfoot
Flat feet is a deformity of the foot, which leads to a violation of its depreciation function, explains traumatologist, orthopedist Aslan Imamov. – With flat feet, the structure of the normal arch of the foot changes, both longitudinal – along the inner edge of the foot, and transverse – along the line of the base of the fingers. This condition can have very serious consequences.
What you need to know about flat feet
| Causes | weakness in the muscles of the feet, overweight, uncomfortable shoes, injuries, rickets or polio |
| Symptoms | fatigue and pain in the legs, inability to wear heels or their trampling inwards, discomfort when walking |
| Treatment | orthopedic insoles, foot gymnastics, refusal of heels, medicines, surgery |
| Prevention | foot exercises, proper footwear, weight maintenance |
Causes of flat feet in adults
The arch of the human foot is made up of bones, ligaments, and muscles. Normally, the muscles and ligaments must be strong enough to support the bones. But sometimes they weaken, and then flat feet develop. As a rule, this condition is formed in childhood and adolescence and intensifies over time. Such flat feet are called static, and it makes up over 82% of all cases.
Causes of flat feet:
- insufficient load on the legs and a sedentary lifestyle;
- congenital weakness of the ligaments;
- excessive stress on the legs due to excess weight, standing work or uncomfortable shoes and high heels;
- childhood injuries and diseases (fractures, paralysis or rickets in infancy);
- hereditary predisposition (the arch of the foot is formed incorrectly in utero, occurs in 3% of cases).
Symptoms of flat feet in adults
Symptoms of flat feet depend on the type and stage of the disease. Most often it is:
- fatigue, pain and heaviness in the legs and feet when standing, walking or towards the end of the day;
- cramps and swelling in the ankles and legs;
- women cannot wear high heels;
- change in leg size
- difficulties with the selection of shoes;
- trampling the heel inward;
- discomfort when walking.
Degrees of flat feet in adults
Each of the types of flat feet has its own characteristics, therefore, doctors usually consider the degree of deformation in the longitudinal and transverse view separately.
Depending on the severity of the pathology, orthopedists distinguish IV degrees of flat feet:
| I degree | mild, almost asymptomatic, fatigue and pain in the legs sometimes at the end of the day; easily corrected |
| II degree | a person experiences distinct pains in the feet, ankles and calves, swelling and heaviness in the legs at the end of the day, changes in gait are possible, and the deformity of the feet is already noticeable externally |
| III degree | severe deformity of the foot – there is practically no “arch”, constant pain in the lower part of the legs, in the knees, hip joints and lower back. Against this background, the following can develop: curvature of the spine, arthrosis and osteochondrosis, disc herniation and headaches. The appearance of a crunch in the knees means that the joints have begun to collapse. Without treatment, this stage can lead to disability. |
| IV degree | turn of the sole inside, severe pain, it is difficult for a person to move, the entire skeleton can be deformed |
Types of flat feet in adults
Depending on which arch of the foot has undergone deformation, flat feet can be longitudinal or transverse, as well as fixed and non-fixed.
Longitudinal flat feet
The longitudinal inner arch of the foot is deformed, as a result, the sole of the foot is almost completely in contact with the surface, and the length of the foot increases. With a strong degree, a blockage of the legs and an X-shaped structure of the legs can develop. Fatigue and pain in the legs is felt even with a moderate development of the disease.
If, during the deformation of the longitudinal arch, a blockage occurs inward with a deviation from the central axis, this condition is called a flat-valgus foot.
This type of flat feet is more likely to:
- elderly people;
- athletes;
- hairdressers and painters;
- pregnant women;
- fans of high heels;
- sedentary and obese people;
- people after leg injury.
Transverse flat feet
The forefoot is deformed and the big toe deviates to its outer side. This leads to subsidence of the transverse arch. Patients develop calluses and corns on the sole, the foot decreases. In addition to the thumb, the second and third fingers are also deformed. Outwardly, they look curved, and the curvature increases as the bumps protrude from the thumb – the valgus bone.
Due to the change in the anchor points, the foot becomes wider and it is difficult for people to fit shoes. Patients also complain of pain at the base of the fingers. Most often, this type of flat feet occurs in women aged 35 – 50 years.
Fixed flat feet
The degree of deformation of the arch with a load on the foot does not change.
Unfixed flat feet
With an increase in the load on the foot, the height of its arches decreases.
Treatment of flat feet in adults
The effectiveness of the treatment of flat feet depends on the age and degree of deformity of the person’s foot. The younger the patient, the more optimistic his forecasts. At the initial stage, the best results are observed in small and young patients. To strengthen the muscles of the foot, massage, therapeutic exercises, orthopedic insoles and leg liners are prescribed.
It is possible to achieve a certain effect in the treatment with the II degree of flat feet, however, much more time and effort will be needed.
Treatment of the III degree of flat feet is reduced to stopping the further progression of the disease and relieving the pain syndrome.
Diagnostics
The presence and degree of flat feet is determined by a traumatologist-orthopedist. For diagnosis, they usually use:
- plantography – the presence of flat feet is determined by the imprint of the sole of the foot, made on the plantograph;
- X-ray of the foot – this research method helps to establish the diagnosis and degree of flat feet.
Most often x-rays are required. But the doctor relies not only on him, but on a holistic picture, since the foot is a complex system, emphasizes Dr. Imamov.
Modern treatments
– When transverse flatfoot goes to II-III degree with severe deformity of the fingers, surgical correction is needed. But these procedures only eliminate the consequences, but do not fight the causes – problematic muscles and ligaments. Therefore, after the operation, you need to constantly wear shoes with special insoles or insoles, says orthopedic surgeon Aslan Imamov.
With longitudinal flat feet, I recommend: correct gait, walk barefoot more often on pebbles and sand or massage mats, regularly unload the muscles of the foot and periodically roll over to the outer edge of the foot, massages, physiotherapy exercises and physiotherapy.
With a pronounced flat foot, orthopedic insoles and individually tailored shoes should be worn.
With mild deformity, it is enough to wear individual orthopedic insoles, do massage and foot exercises. Physiotherapy, swimming, warm baths with sea salt and medication also give the effect.
Prevention of flat feet in adults at home
To avoid flat feet, you need to strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the feet, so one of the best means of prevention is physical education and exercise. Some of them can be performed both at home and at the desktop, these are:
- walking on toes, heels and the inner and outer sides of the feet, with the toes tucked in and raised;
- barefoot rolling a ball and a water bottle;
- picking up small objects with toes;
- rolling from socks to heels;
- rotation of the feet in different directions, lying or sitting.
Popular questions and answers
We asked questions about flat feet orthopedic surgeon Aslan Imamov.