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Causes of flat feet in children
To begin with, all children are born with flat feet. This is a physiological norm (unless, of course, we are talking about a congenital anomaly), because when the baby learns to walk, the formation of the foot begins. Only by about 6-7 years can we talk about any violations – in particular, to diagnose flat feet.
Flat feet is a change in the skeleton of the foot, in which its arches are flattened. A healthy foot has two arches and three arches and rests on three points – the heel and two located on the sole in front of the fingers (metatarsals). The muscles that support the foot in a normal state are called arch supports. If these muscles do their job poorly, the arch of the foot drops and the bones move. At the same time, the foot itself lengthens and expands in the middle part, and the heel deviates outward. This is how flat feet happen.
Flat feet in children can develop for a variety of reasons. For example, congenital deformity of the foot occurs with intrauterine malformations. Also, flat feet can develop after a foot injury or as a result of neurological pathology.
– The main causes of flat feet, according to most researchers, are a congenital condition, at the genetic level. There is post-traumatic flat feet that appears after a foot injury, and the third reason is some kind of neurological disease, for example, flat feet with clubfoot, with cerebral palsy, with paresis or paralysis. But in 90% it’s still genetics. You need to look at the feet of dad, mom, grandma, grandpa, there will be approximately the same picture, – explains pediatric orthopedist Roman Zharin. – There is also the so-called idiopathic plano-valgus foot (translated means “without reason”). In relatives of such patients, the feet are usually in perfect order, but the child himself has flat feet. And this form of flat feet in the presence of pain requires surgical treatment.
Also, some doctors note that at risk are children who are obese or rickets, who lead a sedentary lifestyle, or even wear improperly matched “for growth” shoes. However, many leading experts are sure that shoes have nothing to do with it.
– As the famous orthopedist Vladimir Kenis said: “Shoes have nothing to do with the formation of the arch of the foot. This is a genetically programmed element of anatomy!” the doctor adds.
Symptoms of flat feet in children
Often, parents may not realize that the child has flat feet. In most cases, it does not interfere with the child in any way, but sometimes the baby may complain of pain and discomfort while walking.
The following symptoms can signal violations of the structure of the foot:
- Rapid fatigue – the child prefers to sit on a bench, rather than take part in active peer games, quickly gets tired while running or long walks.
- Pain in the feet (sometimes there may be pain in the knees or lower back).
- Lameness after a long walk.
- Uneven wear of shoes (the sole is erased only from the outside or inside).
Treatment of flat feet in children
In order to identify foot problems in a timely manner, you need to regularly, once a year, bring your child to an orthopedist for examination. This is especially important to do if the child complains of pain and discomfort while walking.
Diagnostics
Flat feet are detected during an appointment with an orthopedist: the doctor will carefully examine the child, collect a family history – clarify whether close relatives have flat feet, if necessary, plantography is prescribed (if earlier the child’s foot was covered with a dye, an imprint was made on paper, and then studied , now the image and processing is carried out using computer technology). Officially, the diagnosis of flat feet is made only after an x-ray of the foot, which determines not only the presence, but also the type, as well as the degree of flat feet in children.
– Let’s start with the fact that before the age of 7, the diagnosis of flat feet, in principle, is not made. The child is constantly growing, his foot is also developing. Many children have an X-shaped deformity of the legs, which also affects the condition of the foot. Usually this x-valgus goes away somewhere by the age of 5-6, and the foot aligns. Therefore, when I hear that a child is given flat feet at the age of one, I consider this to be wrong, says Roman Zharin, an orthopedic doctor.
Modern methods
– In the treatment of flat feet, the most important thing is to answer the question: does flat feet bother the child himself or is it a problem that worries only his parents. The main treatment is aimed at prevention: therapeutic massage, physiotherapy exercises, physiotherapy (electrical stimulation and paraffin boots), but you should not expect global improvements from physiotherapy, the doctor believes.
Massage in the treatment of flat feet in children, it is effective, since it restores blood circulation in the foot, positively affects the condition of the joints and ligaments. It is better to entrust massage to a specialist, especially if the child has suffered a serious sprain or fracture. For home use, a massage mat is suitable: it affects the active points of the foot, stimulates blood circulation.
Exercise therapy with flat feet in children is considered one of the most effective methods of treatment. With regular exercises, muscles and ligaments are strengthened, the correct arch of the foot is formed. You can also do physical therapy at home: rolling a ball from toe to heel, walking on toes, heels, the inside or outside of the foot, lifting small objects with your toes.
– Some specialists prescribe a special treatment for flat feet. orthopedic shoes – with special insoles with arch supports, with a high back and a rigid frame. But it is worth noting that these are very heavy and uncomfortable shoes. For example, a three-year-old child in such boots will constantly stumble and fall. I do not prescribe orthopedic shoes for my patients up to 5-6 years old, and after 6 years I can prescribe orthopedic insoles to remove blockage of the foot. Real orthopedic shoes are required for children with serious pathologies – for example, after a broken foot or with cerebral palsy. Up to 5-6 years old, a child simply needs comfortable shoes – in size so that they do not dangle on their feet. As for whether an instep support is necessary, experts still differ on this matter, says Roman Zharin, an orthopedic doctor.
With regard to surgical methods for the treatment of flat feet, for example, subtalar artoeresis, in which special fixators are screwed into the foot, bringing the foot into the correct position and fixing it, preventing it from falling inward, are used relatively rarely and in severe cases, for example, with flat feet caused by cerebral palsy or other neurological diseases.
“After such an operation, support appears at the foot, and the child can stand on his own,” the doctor explains.
Prevention of flat feet in children at home
The best prevention of flat feet in children is constant physical activity: the child must run, play, do morning exercises.
– Most of our lives we walk on a flat surface – a flat floor or asphalt, therefore, as a prevention of flat feet, I recommend walking barefoot on an uneven surface – pebbles, earth, grass, the more often the better. But make sure that the ground is not too cold, so that the child does not step on a splinter or a sharp stone, the doctor advises.
You also need to monitor the weight of the child, buy him comfortable and high-quality shoes exactly the size of the foot.
Popular questions and answers
Children’s orthopedist Roman Zharin answers questions.