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Foot pain and difficulty walking are the basic but not the only problems of people who develop platfus. There are a number of areas of life where the platfus is a hindrance. What is this ailment? Can it be treated?
Platfus – what does it mean?
Platfus is a colloquial term for flat feet. It is an ailment that occurs as a result of deformation of the foot, which consists in lowering the naturally occurring arches in it, which makes it fully or partially in contact with the ground and is flat – hence the name «flat feet«. A healthy foot forms an arched curve and the bones are in a straight line. A healthy foot has three points in contact with the floor – the heel, the first metatarsal and the fifth metatarsal. Platfus can come in two types. It is longitudinal and transverse flat feet. Longitudinal flat feet is that the medial arch in the foot is lowered, so that it touches the ground with its entire surface. On the other hand transverse flat feet can be recognized by an unnatural-looking, wide foot – this is because the transverse arch in the foot is lowered.
Flat feet – causes
Platfus it may be congenital or acquired, but the former is extremely rare. We deal more often with flat feet acquired, which may be different causes. It is a failure of the muscles responsible for the correct maintenance of the curvature in the foot, and it is caused by, among others, straining the feet by sitting or standing work, too frequent walking in uncomfortable, poorly profiled shoes and in high heels, or wearing too tight or poor quality shoes. Platfus it can also be caused by walking on even and hard ground from an early age, so that the foot is not forced to work and properly arch the foot. Other causes These are disorders of the anatomical structure of the lower limb, such as valgus knees, different length of the limbs, specific structure of the bones of the foot, as well as disorders in the spinal cord that affect the functioning of the foot muscles. Flat feet however, it most often affects overweight people, because the foot is overloaded.
Flat feet – symptoms of ailments
The first and immediate symptom flat feet there is swelling and pain in the feet that make it difficult to stand or walk. Flat feet transverse can also cause bone degeneration and, consequently, deformation of the feet and the appearance of the so-called valgus toe. Additionally platfus may cause excessive sweating of the feet, burning, itching, mycosis and circulatory disturbance. Pains may appear not only in the foot area, but also in the lower extremities and the knee joint, which in turn makes it difficult to move or causes fatigue after even slight physical exertion. It is worth remembering that untreated platfus it can cause inflammation of the joint capsules and ligaments in the foot. Flat feet Therefore, it is not only an aesthetic problem, but above all a health problem.
Flat feet – how to treat?
Platfus the most common treatment is through the use of rehabilitation. The doctor determines what deformations have occurred in the patient’s foot and selects specific exercises accordingly. In softer stage they can be done at home. In advanced At the stage of the disease, appropriate insoles or shoes are selected, but if this does not work, surgical intervention is necessary. In addition to emergency treatment, it is worth preventing the appearance platfus by wearing appropriate shoes, maintaining hygiene, caring for a healthy body weight and performing activities that support the work of the muscles in the feet.
Flat feet – exercise
Exercises na flat feet they mainly involve walking barefoot on various surfaces – both flat and on grass or other uneven surfaces, to stimulate the muscles to work. You should walk on toes, heels, sides of the feet, etc. From an early age it can also be introduced in the form of play exercisesto prevent formation flat feet. You can use your toes to carry crayons, a bag filled with, for example, rice or other items. There are also special foot massage devices that are also recommended for treatment flat feetand in the absence of access to these tools, an independent massage or rolling balls with insets can serve as a substitute.
It is worth taking care of the feet, it is also worth watching their proper development in children. Diagnosis is carried out in many schools flat feet and other posture defects that may qualify children to participate in additional activities called corrective gymnastics.