Treatment of flat feet with orthopedic shoes, correctors and inserts

Types of flat feet

This disease is classified by origin into:

• congenital - usually detected after 6 years;
• static – the most common, formed due to weakness of the muscles of the foot, lower leg, and ligaments;
• paralytic – occurs with paresis and paralysis of the muscles of the leg and foot;
• traumatic – formed after injuries, when a fracture of the ankle, heel bone, or ankle occurs.

Transverse, longitudinal and mixed flat feet are also distinguished.

Transverse

Occurs in 50% of cases. It is characterized by a decrease in the transverse arch of the foot, due to which it becomes shorter against the background of an increase in its front part. The thumb is deflected. The reason is weakness of muscles and ligaments. The risk group is people aged 35 to 50 years.

Longitudinal

The longitudinal arch of the foot flattens, almost its entire surface comes into contact with the floor, and the size of the leg increases slightly. The disease manifests itself more strongly in obese people and pregnant women. The main risk group is people with standing jobs, those who are overweight, as well as young women (16-25 years old).

Combined (mixed, longitudinal-transverse)

The transverse and longitudinal arches of the foot are flattened. In this regard, the support area increases, so patients rarely complain of pain.

There are three degrees of this disease:

• First. The patient's legs swell in the evening, and after physical activity pain appears, which goes away with rest. The gait changes a little.
• Second. It is characterized by severe pain, therefore, in contrast to grade 1, people quickly consult a doctor to correct such flat feet - with grade 2 it even becomes difficult to walk. The vaults almost disappear.
• Third. It is accompanied by severe pain in the knees, legs, feet, a person experiences headaches, discomfort in the lower back, and it is difficult for him to walk even a short distance.

Diagnosis and treatment of flat feet at the Miracle Doctor clinic

The orthopedist will conduct a plantoscopy, which identifies areas of weak muscles and overload of the foot, and will most likely prescribe x-rays. Based on the data obtained, the doctor will make an accurate diagnosis.

How to treat flat feet

• Orthopedic shoes and insoles for longitudinal and transverse flat feet - give the foot the correct position, minimize the load on the back, as a result, the knee joints stop hurting. The maximum benefit will come from custom-made insoles and shoes.
• Exercises and gymnastics (physical therapy) can remove minor changes in the shape of the feet, improve the arch, make the muscles stronger and the legs more resilient.
• Massage – feet, legs, back.

Prevention of flat feet

• wear comfortable, not narrow shoes made of soft leather and with flexible soles, let them have a comfortable heel of up to 4 cm;
• watch your weight;
• It is useful for expectant mothers to use orthopedic insoles;
• walk barefoot on uneven surfaces.

6 reasons to treat flat feet at the Miracle Doctor clinic

• Orthopedic doctors of the highest category and candidates of medical sciences with extensive clinical experience work for you;
• individual orthopedic leather insoles, modeled taking into account the patient’s weight and deformation of his feet, made directly in the clinic in a matter of minutes;
• kinesio taping – a special tape (tape) is glued to the body, which takes on part of the load from the foot, reduces pain and prevents the disease from getting worse;
• physical therapy - for example, sinus-modulated currents (myostimulation), which trains weak leg muscles;
• foot casts and insoles using Sursil Ortho technology – are modeled taking into account the patient’s weight and the deformation of his feet using a heated polymer blank, ultimately completely repeating the shape of the legs;
• improvements after the first dose in almost all patients.

It is now clear that properly shaped feet are not only beautiful, but also necessary for the health of the entire body. Miracle Doctors orthopedic doctors will help you find both.

Don't put off going to the doctor until later! Call us right now!

How to correct flat feet in a child or adult, is it possible to correct congenital pathology?

There are two main treatment methods - conservative and surgical treatment.

Conservative methods

After an x-ray, the orthopedic surgeon may prescribe one or more of these correction methods:

• exercise therapy;
• taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug to relieve pain and inflammation;
• massage that increases blood circulation in the legs and metabolism;
• the use of arch supports that strengthen weakened muscles;
• selection of corrective and supportive shoes;
• Carrying out herbal foot baths to relieve joint pain, fatigue and tension.

The listed methods do not allow correcting transverse or other flat feet in adults; they act as a means of containing the disease and alleviating the condition. For children the prognosis is much better. The main thing is to detect congenital or acquired pathology in time and begin treatment.

Surgical methods of treatment

Surgical treatment is indicated for adults after conservative methods have been tried without visible results. Depending on the individual characteristics and type of disease, the following manipulations can be performed:

• removal of the phalanx, which has grown pathologically;
• cutting out the metatarsophalangeal joint, after this procedure the ligaments are fixed with metal fasteners;
• removal of growths on the bone tissues of the foot;
• and etc.

After this, it is necessary to go through the rehabilitation stage, during which physiotherapy is performed and a gentle load regimen is prescribed.

What physical exercises are suitable to cure flat feet?

Exercise one: the child should lie on the floor. Then connect your feet with the soles of your feet together, after which you need to stretch and turn your toes inward. The exercise is done 5 times. Then you can gradually increase the load.

Exercise two: the child should sit on the floor or chair. He then rolls the ball with his bare feet. You can also bend and straighten your toes, turn your feet inward, and grab and lift a pencil from the floor with your toes.

Exercise three: the child should stand on the floor. You can perform the following movements: rise on your toes and spread and bring your heels together; walk on tiptoes; walk on the outer edge of the foot, while bending the toes; take steps in one place, while your toes should remain on the floor.

Some doctors advise using a procedure such as physiotherapy (for example, electrophoresis and other possible options) when treating. Due to this, blood circulation becomes significantly better, and the activity of various metabolic processes that occur in the foot also increases, which is very important. This treatment has a certain number of courses. As a rule, they are held three to four times a year.

Before starting any type of treatment, you must consult with a specialist at a clinic or orthopedic center. He will tell you what the duration of classes should be, and also determine the dosage of the loads.

treatment of flat feet in children

How do orthotics and inserts help eliminate the disease?

The use of insoles and liners is an opportunity to correct flat feet at home, since these therapeutic and prophylactic products:

• support the normal functioning of the musculoskeletal system;
• stimulate blood circulation;
• help to recover from injury;
• reduce pain in the joints and muscles of the legs;
• prevent damage during sports;
• correctly distribute the load when walking, which is especially important for older people, pregnant women, and overweight people;
• reduce the load on the ankle, hip, knee joints and spine.

For the longitudinal type of the disease, insoles allow:

• improve foot shock absorption;
• reduce the load on the spine and leg joints when walking;
• reduce pain and fatigue.

With a transverse type of pathology:

• reduce the likelihood of swelling;
• prevent calluses and corns;
• maintain proper foot clearance;
• allow you to place your foot correctly;
• reduce pain.

FormTotics

If all your knowledge on the topic boils down to the “truth” that “they don’t take you into the army with flat feet,” we have a lot of news for you.

What is dangerous about flat feet in a teenager and whether it can be corrected - we will figure it out together with an expert - a podiatrist (a doctor who specializes in the foot). But first, let's answer one question for ourselves... What surrounds modern children?

This is not an idle question; we are almost sure that most of us are raising our offspring in more or less civilized conditions (at least you have the Internet, since you are reading these lines!). This means that they spend the most important period of “barefoot childhood” (3-7 years) not barefoot at all, far from natural surfaces (pebble coast, forest paths, etc.). And in the conditions of the Central Russian zone, all children (even those who live outside the concrete metropolis) are almost constantly wearing shoes. Otherwise it's just cold, you know.

Every child is born flat-footed. But then he begins to walk, the leg muscles “turn on” and the arches of the feet gradually rise. For our ancestors, this was facilitated by running around fields and meadows with bumps and potholes. Modern children first stomp around in a playpen, then run on laminate, parquet, porcelain tiles and, at best, on a shag carpet. Does it promote proper arch formation? Unfortunately no.

So, the arches begin to form from the moment the baby begins to stand on his feet, and this process ends just in adolescence, closer to adulthood. There are three arches in total, and these are three “springs” that make walking comfortable. If they “sag” as they grow older, flat feet develop.

So how can you correct flat feet in a teenager? First, let's understand how to identify this problem.

Signs of flat feet in teenagers

You can suspect an obvious problem before visiting a doctor. Pay attention to your child's shoes. If the sole wears unevenly and more strongly from the inner edge, this is an alarm signal.

You can also do a simple test yourself. Lubricate the child's feet with gouache or beet juice (vegetable oil will also work, but it is more difficult to wash off later). Prepare a blank sheet of paper and invite your child to stand on it. Then examine the resulting prints.

Is the foot imprinted almost entirely? This means that there is overpronation - flat feet. Is there a uniform taper towards the center in both prints? Great, the foot is working as it should.

However, expert diagnostics can only be carried out by a specialist - a podiatrist. Ideally, from the age of 7 until graduation, he should be visited annually for a preventive examination so as not to miss possible changes, since during this period the main growth and formation of the musculoskeletal system occurs, and problems tend to progress.

So, the doctor will examine the child using a special device - a podoscope (this device allows you to visually assess the position of the feet, the degree of flattening of the arches, overload zones, etc.) and make a verdict.

Causes of
flat feet in teenagers
· Sedentary lifestyle.

Modern schoolchildren prefer the virtual world behind gadget screens to active games. Weakness of the muscles and ligaments that support and strengthen the arches of the feet is one of the main causes of flat feet.

· Hypermobility of ligaments and joints.

Does your child demonstrate phenomenal flexibility? This could be a wake-up call. Typically, hypermobility first appears in adolescence, and more often in girls. Visually it looks like an excess of range of motion in the joints compared to peers. As a rule, it is associated with a hereditary collagen defect, which causes hyperextensibility and a decrease in the strength of ligaments and tendons. And, as a result, the ligaments that support the arch are also overstretched, and as a result, the foot becomes flattened.

· Wrong diet.

Excessive elasticity of the ligaments and weakening of the muscles of the arches of the feet can occur due to a lack of vitamins and microelements in the teenager’s diet.

· Fast growth.

A schoolchild's foot sometimes grows at a rate of 1-2 sizes per year. Such active growth is reflected in the functional state of the musculoskeletal system. If muscles and ligaments, for example, do not keep up with the growth of bones, there is a systemic disruption of the biomechanics of the foot and subsequent deformation.

· Sports loads.

During school adolescence, many children attend sports clubs or even play sports professionally. Meanwhile, figure skating, basketball, acrobatics and other sports with shock loads on joints and ligaments lead to chronic microtraumas and deformations, including causing flat feet. Also harmful to the feet and the entire musculoskeletal system are sports with asymmetric loads: tennis, high jumping, javelin throwing.

· Overweight.

Excess weight has an adverse effect on the muscular-ligamentous system and is a problem that is increasingly being diagnosed in the new generation. Static load also causes the foot to flatten.

· Shoes.

Those who are especially susceptible to the most futuristic fashion influences are teenagers. They are open to experiments and are ready to wear the most uncomfortable shoes “in the name of the trend and its locomotive - the influencer.” Here are the legendary “ugly” sneakers with platform soles, which deprive the foot of the anatomical roll from heel to toe when stepping. And high heels, which young ladies try on for the first time at just 12+ years of age (the video of the Leningrad group caused another wave of fashion for those same shoes). A heel higher than 5 cm increases pressure on the forefoot, changes the biomechanics of its movement, which also provokes deformities. Meanwhile, doctors do not recommend long-term wearing of high heels for girls under 18-20 years old - the age at which the skeleton forms.

Another dangerous disadvantage of wearing heels in adolescence is the so-called contracture (shortening) of the Achilles tendons. When constantly walking “on your toes,” the tendon does not need to stretch in order to place your foot comfortably, as it would in shoes without heels.

However, sneakers and ballet shoes, beloved by the younger generation, provoke flat feet no less. In shoes with absolutely flat thin soles, a person walks down the street, literally beating his feet on the asphalt.

Specialists from the National Medical Research Center for Children's Health under the Russian Ministry of Health have been conducting research on the health of schoolchildren for 15 years. It turned out that by the 11th grade, 100% of children have some kind of health problem. Flat feet have become one of the most common disorders in boys.

What is the danger?

Flat feet are a systemic problem of the entire musculoskeletal system. Violation of the most important spring function of the foot leads to global trauma to the entire body. The consequences depend on the scale of the problem (doctors diagnose flat feet of degrees 1, 2 and 3). Undamped vibrations of the body during walking and running are transmitted higher to the lower leg, knee, hip joints, and spine. With age, this can lead to persistent pain in the legs and back, poor posture, destruction of joints, etc. Moreover, as a result of a global “distortion”, certain muscles, nerve endings, and blood vessels are pinched, causing pain syndromes and hypoxia in a variety of organs and parts of the body.

Is it possible to cure flat feet in a teenager?

So, we come to the question of how to treat flat feet in adolescents. It is worth noting that this age is the best time for foot correction. The skeleton, ligaments and muscles grow and respond well to any manipulation.

· Orthopedic insoles.

The gold standard for the prevention and treatment of such musculoskeletal problems is the wearing of individually molded orthopedic insoles (orthoses).
Orthoses made from modern elastic materials are designed to correct not only the position, but also the function of the foot. That is, they do not just mechanically support it, but at the same time stimulate the muscles when walking and running, forming and consolidating optimal movement in “muscle memory”. Important!
Serial instep supports from the pharmacy are more of an accessory than a medical device. The orthosis must be designed individually, taking into account the characteristics of each patient’s legs. · Physiotherapy.

Exercises for the legs should also be selected by a doctor. There is no universal complex, since in each case certain muscle groups are trained. However, there are a number of “moves” that are useful for every child, regardless of the severity of the problem, and they can be done at home. You can place pencils by the chair and ask your child to pick them up with their toes. Rolling a “spiky” rubber ball (often sold in pet stores) with your feet will also be useful.

· Massage.

Orthopedic mats have a good massage effect. Someone lays them almost all over the apartment (this is perhaps too much). Someone is by the bed - so there is a chance that the teenager will march along it in the morning as a wake-up exercise and before bed.

· Walking barefoot.

In Buddhist practices, walking barefoot along the rocky bottom of a stream was one of the stages of bodily training. Making a homemade “stream” is easy. Place sand, pebbles in a plastic container, and you can add non-thorny tree fruits like chestnuts and acorns. After an evening shower, stomping around for 15 minutes on such an improvised exercise machine is a pleasure and undoubted benefit.

· Physiotherapy.

Electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound therapy, underwater massage - there are a lot of techniques, but the choice must be made by a specialist.

Flat feet can be corrected in children, so it is important to diagnose it in time and take action!

The article was published on December 13, 2019 on the website lisa.ru

Therapeutic and preventive insoles

Purpose and features of preventive insoles

Ready-made orthopedic insoles, which can be purchased at a pharmacy or store, support the arch of the foot. The arches may not withstand heavy physical exertion, pregnancy, sudden weight gain, in old age, or in people who are weakened due to another disease. To prevent flat feet from developing in these cases, preventive supportive insoles are needed.

Properties and purpose of therapeutic insoles

Such products are intended for those who have already been diagnosed with certain foot problems. After an accurate medical diagnosis, such products are manufactured individually. The foot contains 20 joints and 28 bones. When walking, this part of the leg performs a pushing function and maintains balance. Due to trauma, abnormal development, and other problems, the coordination of the various parts of this complex system is disrupted. As a result, pain appears, adaptive reactions occur, and a painful reaction of the body as a whole may occur. The task of the insole in this case is not only to support the arches, but also to compensate for pathology and prevent serious general disorders.

SOS signal

The first symptoms of flat feet are that the gait loses its smoothness, the soles of the shoes may slip to one side, and the shoes that recently fit become small due to the expansion of the foot. Children quickly get tired while walking, ask to be held, and complain of pain in the legs or lower back. There are also problems with ingrown toenails.

The onset of the disease can be determined visually by simply looking at the child’s heel to see if it is tilting to one side or the other. In medical language, this is called an X- or O-shaped deformity of the ankle joints. This happens because the weight of the baby’s body when walking is distributed unevenly, and the foot is positioned incorrectly.