Massage for flat feet in adults

There is an opinion that flat feet are not a serious problem, but this is not at all true. Many people only realize over time that flat feet can cause a lot of inconvenience, and coping with this disease can be very difficult: it takes a lot of effort, time and money. In this article you will learn the correct massage technique, what to do to prevent the development of flat feet, and what to do in situations when the client should adhere to a set of procedures other than massage.

Flat feet are considered to be a defect in the human foot when its arch becomes denser, resulting in an increased load on both the joints and the spine. Contrary to public opinion, flat feet can develop throughout life in any person, and not just as a result of a predisposition in people to whom it was inherited. The formation of an irregular foot shape is influenced by many factors: an abundance of physical activity, wearing inappropriate shoes, incorrect gait, as well as the individual structural characteristics of each person.

The human brain receives signals about how to run, walk and stand correctly with the help of the foot, which is responsible for gravity. An improperly functioning foot sends incorrect signals to the brain, as a result of which the quality of movements performed deteriorates. Therefore, the incorrect shape of the foot will negatively affect the condition of the entire body as a whole. Possible deterioration in joint function, prolapse of the intestines, and an increased likelihood of getting a concussion and curvature of the vertebrae.

Correct foot

A pronounced arch is the main sign of a healthy foot. The arch is formed by bending bones and ligaments into an arc. It helps soften the stress on joints due to pressure or sudden movements. The spine of a person with flat feet constantly receives compression shocks that occur while walking. Children are not always able to notice changes in the foot area, so even if they are present, the child does not experience any discomfort. Often, problems with the spine and legs caused by flat feet appear in adulthood, which is why foot massage is prescribed not only for children, but also for adults.

What rules should you follow to choose the right shoes for your child?

Shoes must contain only those materials that are of a natural nature, so that the skin of the feet can “breathe” and not experience discomfort.
It is very important that the sole is rigid and stable and must have a small heel 1-1.5 cm high.
The backdrop must have sufficient height and rigidity. The length should be approximately ankle length.
Shoes need to have a margin, which is usually 1-1.5 cm.
The shoes that are selected for the child must fit tightly enough on the foot, but there should be no compression of the foot.
It is advisable to choose perforated shoes, then you can avoid sweating of your feet.

Complete hardening of the bones of a child’s foot is completed around 14 years of age. After this age mark, flat feet can no longer be treated. But you can try to stop possible future deformation of the foot.

What does flat feet lead to?

This disease leads to a number of problems, including the formation of intervertebral hernias, calluses and spurs, the appearance of swelling, the formation of protruding bones in the thumbs and the inability to walk long distances. Many patients with flat feet complain of “heavy leg syndrome.” This is a condition in which the veins of the legs are pathologically transformed, leading to varicose veins. The spine is also subject to curvature. In addition, the gait of a person with flat feet appears heavy, resulting in a lack of beauty and grace in his movements.

Calf muscle massage

They probe the large bone, separating the soft tissue in the middle. The calf muscle is located in this area. They pass along it with probing movements in the direction from top to bottom.

Additionally carried out:

lightly stroking the entire surface;
rub the sides of the leg with the pad of the thumb;
Pressure is applied in the ankle area;
pinching to activate blood circulation;
effleurage and chopping in the area of the calf muscle;
rubbing with sawing elements.

Important!
The ankle area is very sensitive. No movements that cause pain should be allowed. Discomfort can cause seizures in a baby prone to them.

Benefits of foot massage for flat feet

A professional massage therapist can relieve a patient of muscle pain, prevent changes in bone tissue for the worse, strengthen the ligaments of the foot, increase joint flexibility and improve blood circulation. After a massage session, the client ceases to feel tension in the legs. With the right approach to foot massage, a specialist affects the entire immune system, and suitable methods have both a restorative and relaxing effect. As a result, the client feels not only healthier, but also rested.

Indications and contraindications

In ancient China, massage of the soles was given great attention. The feet were considered second in importance after the heart. Energy lines run along them, called meridians. The procedure removes tension and forces the body to work efficiently. It affects the body as a whole, so there are contraindications.

These include:

acute diseases of the legs and joints;
benign neoplasms and oncology;
thrombosis, varicose veins, burns, gangrene;
insect bites, skin damage;
heart disease and abnormalities in its functioning;
convulsions and epilepsy, stomach ulcers;
there are warts and papillomas in the body;
sprains, injuries, wounds.

Chinese healers believe that the sole contains a “map” of the entire body. About 300 nerve fibers pass through active points. By pressing them, the work of a certain organ or system is activated and the inflammatory process is removed. After the procedure, sleep improves, the functioning of most organs and systems improves, and anxiety decreases. You can do it for your child yourself. The main thing is to know how to massage correctly.

When should you refuse a massage?

Patients with mental illness, skin infections, malignant tumors, blood diseases, tuberculosis and thrombophlebitis are prohibited from undergoing these procedures so as not to worsen an already problematic health condition. People with symptoms of influenza virus or other exacerbations of diseases of the immune system are better off withholding treatment for a while. Pregnant women, people with diabetes and varicose veins are recommended to consult with a specialist before starting a massage course to choose the safest technique.

The result of manual intervention

Massage has a beneficial effect on the entire body:

activates blood circulation;
improves trophism (nutrition) of tissues;
stops pathological processes;
relieves muscle tension;
gives strength and elasticity to muscles, tendons and ligaments;
increases the mobility of the knee and ankle joints;
eliminates stiffness;
relieves pain;
relieves swelling and fatigue;
increases the shock-absorbing capacity of the foot;
improves overall health, since the foot contains nerve endings that innervate the entire body;
strengthens the immune system.

Manual manipulation can be used for both therapeutic and preventive purposes. With longitudinal flat feet, massage provides better results than with transverse ones.

The intensity and frequency of exposure depend on the child’s age, severity of the disease, and general health.

Types of flat feet

An important condition before starting treatment procedures is to identify the cause of the problem. It is based on this that the specialist chooses the desired massage technique. Flat feet can form before a person is born in the womb, in which case it is called congenital, but it is extremely rare. The most common cases of acquired flatfoot formation. Most often it is caused by weakness of the musculoskeletal system, excess weight, and is also the result of wearing incorrectly selected shoes. Heavy work and injuries to the ligamentous apparatus also lead to deformation of the arch of the foot.

What is flat feet and why is it worth talking about?

Flat feet are a violation of the physiological shape of the foot, incorrect position of the bones, ligaments, and muscles involved in the formation of the arch, leading to a violation of the biomechanics of movement. The foot has two arches: longitudinal and transverse. They act as springs for the foot, softening the impact of the foot on the ground when walking.

Interestingly, at birth the foot is flat. With the first steps, the arches begin their formation, and it ends by the age of 5-6 years.

The correct approach to treating flat feet

Most often, correction of flat feet in adults is carried out through a whole course, which consists of massage, electrophoresis, taking medications, physical therapy exercises and wearing orthopedic shoes. It is very important to maintain the correct sequence of actions when undergoing a course of therapy. Thermal physiotherapy procedures are always carried out before a massage session. And when treating using electrophoresis, you should follow the reverse order of actions: first, a massage is performed, and only then the electrophoresis procedure using medications. A period of time should be maintained between procedures. Two to three hours is the most optimal break between therapy sessions.

Combating flat feet in adulthood

Common causes of flat feet are back pain, poor posture and gait. Therefore, you should not neglect the treatment of flat feet for both children and adults.

Reasons for the development of flat feet in adults

Every fourth person has flat feet of varying severity. This is often a congenital cause of excessive elasticity of the ligaments, which is inherited. An adult who had flat feet in childhood and did not pay due attention to treatment will continue to suffer from this disease in the future.

In addition to congenital or hereditary causes, flat feet can develop due to prolonged standing work or from excess weight. At the same time, the foot changes, deformation occurs, and it becomes flattened.

Women's flat feet are more common than men's. The reason for this may be hormonal changes in the body, pregnancy, childbirth. With every pregnancy a woman undergoes a restructuring in her body. As a result, the connective tissue is stretched, changes in muscle function, and deformation of the feet occur.

Incorrect shoes, high heels, sedentary lifestyle, injuries - all this can also cause the development of the disease.

Signs and consequences of flat feet

Only an orthopedic doctor can accurately diagnose flat feet. Sometimes a person does not even realize that he has a foot disease. Signs such as swelling, varicose veins, and pain in the feet indicate the disease.

There are three degrees of the disease:

1st – manifests itself as painful sensations after long walks or long standing positions. In this case, the deformation of the foot will not be clearly expressed.
2nd – manifested by scoliosis, osteochondrosis of the spine
. The deformity is already noticeable, the gait changes, pain appears in the knees and ankles.
3rd – the arch of the foot is absent, deformation of the fingers and ankles occurs. Pain begins not only in the legs, but also in the spine.

Flat feet

can lead to such consequences as poor posture,
curvature of the spine
, osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia and even radiculitis. There is a large load on the joints, arthrosis and coxarthrosis (pelvic disease) begin. Coordination of movement is impaired, as changes occur in the transmission of nerve impulses from the foot. The gait changes, and over time the person may begin to limp. Heel spurs form, causing severe pain. Due to improper blood flow in the legs, the cardiovascular system also suffers, varicose veins of the lower extremities occur, and people with diabetes may experience trophic ulcers on the legs.

Treatment methods for flat feet in adults

It is impossible to completely get rid of flat feet that are discovered in adulthood. Over time, bone deformation occurs - and this is difficult to correct. Treatment is primarily aimed at containing the progression of the disease and correcting posture and gait. Recovery is possible only with an integrated approach to treatment.

In order to strengthen the ligaments and muscles of the legs, exercise therapy is prescribed. A set of exercises is selected by a rehabilitation specialist based on plantography and photographs. If you do it regularly, you can achieve significant results.

Physiotherapy procedures are also performed as prescribed by a doctor. This may be paraffin therapy, electrophoresis, sinusoidal modulated currents and other procedures, depending on the stage of the disease.

An osteopath or chiropractor, as well as massage treatments, will help improve blood flow to the lower extremities and relax the muscles.

It will be mandatory to wear an individual orthopedic insole, which is selected by an orthopedist based on the foot measurements. In difficult cases, it is recommended to purchase orthopedic shoes, which can be purchased in specialized stores or made to order according to your foot. Insoles should be worn only for medicinal purposes. This is not recommended for prevention as it can weaken the leg muscles.

Preventive and therapeutic exercises

To prevent the foot from working, it is recommended to walk barefoot on stones. Watch the load on your feet when walking, keep your weight normal, wear comfortable shoes, not with too high heels or solid soles. The recommended heel height is 4 cm, the shoes should support the foot, the heel should not be soft, and the shoes themselves should not be tight or narrow.

There are many exercises to prevent flat feet, they are not complicated and do not require much time. Some of them can be performed in any convenient place:

Walk alternately on your toes, on your heels, on the inside and outside of the foot.
Walk alternately with your toes tucked and toes raised.
Rolls in place from heel to toe and back.
Rolling with the feet of an object. This could be a plastic bottle with water or sand, or a hard roller.
Grabbing small objects with your toes in order to lift them from the floor.
In a sitting position, perform rotational movements of the feet clockwise and counterclockwise.

It is recommended to perform more thorough exercises that will take 5-10 minutes:

Let's clap our heels - in a sitting position, spread your knees to the sides and put your feet together; Do not tear your socks off from each other, but spread your heels apart and connect them.
Perform stroking movements with the foot of one leg on the other leg from toes to knees.
Stand on a thin stick, and it’s better if it’s a special gymnastics stick, but if you don’t have one, you’ll probably have something similar at home. Perform squats on your toes while standing on a stick.
In a sitting position, squeeze a paper napkin with your toes, which should be laid out on the floor.
Drawing with a pencil held between your toes.

Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr

Method of performing foot massage for flat feet

It is worth starting the massage from the lower back, because it is the lower back that is responsible for the muscles of the lower extremities, acting as a “control panel”.
To improve blood circulation, massage the thigh area.
Don't forget about the calf muscles, they also need careful work.
Then you need to pay attention to the lower leg and heel tendon.
Based on the type of disease, work on the desired area: central, external or internal.
It is also necessary to take a responsible approach to massaging the active points of the foot.

Massage for young children

When performing a massage for children over one year of age:

use various techniques (relaxing, strengthening, general) and techniques (stroking, rubbing, kneading, tapping);
first they act on the lumbar region, since it is in it that the zones of innervation of the lower extremities are located;
then alternately knead the buttocks, hips, knees, feet, paying special attention to the Achilles tendon;
It is advisable to perform the procedure before bedtime after water procedures;
one zone is treated for at least 60 seconds;
duration of the procedure – 15-20 minutes;
the course of therapy should consist of 12-20 sessions.

How to properly massage for flat feet: step-by-step instructions

The first step is to lightly massage your upper back in the area of the shoulder blades.
Next you can move on to the lower back. In order to relax and warm up the lumbar muscles, you need to do a massage with rubbing and stretching of the muscles. With these actions, blood flow to the desired area improves and congestion is removed.
The next area to massage is the thighs. The main task is not to relax the muscles, as is the case with the lower back, but to tone them. This can be done by pinching, patting movements, creating some kind of vibration.
When working with the back of the thigh, you should use rubbing and stroking the muscles. These movements are also aimed at improving the patient's blood circulation.
The shin massage can begin only after the master has placed a roller under the client’s feet. For this area of the leg, a differentiated method is suitable. You need to start with the inner surface of the shin, and then go to work on the outer surface. The internal muscles should be relaxed, and the external ones, depending on whether they are tense or not, should be worked out using different techniques.
Massaging the foot begins from its central part. To treat this area, you can use the phalanges and fingers, as well as the fist.
Particular attention should be paid to the transverse arch of the foot: when the massage is performed correctly, its correct formation occurs. It is necessary to carefully massage the area under the third and fourth fingers.

Therapeutic exercise at home

We lay out colored pencils and scraps of multi-colored fabric on the floor surface and ask the baby to pick them up with his toes.
We give the child a small toy and ask him to hold it with his feet.
Walking on the outer edges of the feet: “Teddy Bear”.
Walking on tiptoes.
Rotation of the feet, pulling of the toes.
After 3-4 years of age, a useful exercise is tiptoe jumping on a skipping rope. Very well strengthens the ligaments and muscles of the ankle joint, calf muscle and the entire inner surface of the thigh. It is also useful for parents to do this exercise with their child.
While watching your favorite cartoons, you can ask your child to roll the rolling pin with his feet.

You shouldn’t overload your baby with exercises; start with 2-3 minutes each.

Massage without the help of a specialist

In order to prevent the worsening of the disease, self-massage should be carried out from early childhood. The child should enjoy the procedures and be in an entertaining format. For this reason, it is recommended to use orthopedic mats with different textures that will arouse interest in the little patient. As exercises, you can roll balls with your feet, walk on grass and sand, and reach objects with your toes. A properly selected course of exercises will help get rid of foot defects and prevent problems with the musculoskeletal system.

An adult also needs to pay attention to the condition of his feet. At the first unpleasant symptoms, you should start doing exercises to prevent the development of flat feet. As a preventive measure, you need to wear the right shoes, maintain foot hygiene and maintain a healthy body weight.

To independently massage your feet at home, an adult needs to purchase a ball, which should be rolled on an orthopedic mat for about 10-15 minutes a day.

Distinctive features of children's orthopedic massage.

1. Volumes by time and sessions.

Children's orthopedic massage usually takes longer, because... you have to work with ligaments. They are poorly supplied with blood, stretch more slowly, and the joint capsules also require increased attention. From this it turns out that you need to work with the muscles and ligaments. Also, something that has been bent for months or years, or has developed in utero, is difficult to correct in one course, so you have to do many courses of treatment.

2. Efficiency when using exercise therapy.

Physical therapy is a great help in the treatment of orthopedic disorders in children. In exercise therapy, active exercises that strengthen muscles and passive exercises for stretching shortened ligaments are very useful. Often, therapeutic exercises are more effective than massage.

3. A lot of work with ligaments and capsules.

The mechanical factor of the impact of massage on the body comes first.

4. Unlike adults, children can achieve very good results. A child's growing body is plastic and malleable to various kinds of influences. Gymnastics, position treatment, massage for children with orthopedic disorders are relevant due to their age.

How to choose the right shoes

The human body, which is constantly in a bent position, needs massage every day. An excellent solution would be to walk barefoot on sand, pebbles or rubble. Unfortunately, not every person has the opportunity to prevent flat feet in this way; in this case, properly selected shoes come to the rescue.

The importance of shoes and saving on them cannot be underestimated. For this reason, it is recommended to purchase high-quality models with soft arch support, a small heel and a good heel that will support the ankle joints. It is the quality of the shoes a person wears that affects the condition of the foot.

Optimal load on the legs

In order for the treatment of flat feet in a child to be safe and effective, it is necessary to select the most rational load, which will be carried out continuously throughout the entire recovery process.

You should not stand in one position for a very long time, or carry heavy weights;
It is advisable that the child does not walk barefoot on stone or hard surfaces for a long time;
The child should at least sometimes walk on loose soil, and also walk on sand. But at the same time, parents must be sure that there is no glass or wire on these surfaces;
The child should not wear warm shoes in any room.

Why do you need to know how to massage your feet?

Basic foot massage skills will only help reduce pain and prevent serious problems that can be caused by flat feet.
People diagnosed with flat feet should seek professional massage, but it is not necessary to go to an experienced massage therapist. Fortunately, now anyone can learn foot massage: both a specialist in the field of massage and a person who has nothing to do with it. Having mastered the technique of professional massage for flat feet, a person is able to help not only himself, but also his loved ones. Previous articleNext article

For prevention

If the child was born full-term, then massage is allowed from 2 months. Up to six months, the main technique is lightly stroking the legs for several minutes. For smooth glide, pre-apply baby oil to the skin.

After 6 months, when massaging your child’s feet, gradually complicate the technique, increase the time and intensity.

Add:

light rubbing with fingers or palm;
drawing with your finger the numbers “7”, “8”, ovals over the entire surface of the foot, including the ball of the toe, heel;
rotation of the ankle clockwise and counterclockwise;
flexion-extension of the foot.

During the session, smile and talk to the baby. Entertain with fairy tales, rhymes, songs, conversations so that the procedure brings positive emotions.

After 1 year, use your toes to massage your child’s feet and increase the time to 5–10 minutes.

Do it carefully, without sudden movements:

rub your fingers separately, massage each one in a circle from the nail to the base and back;
carefully rotate, bend, straighten each finger;
stroke from toes to ankle.

Useful tips

Massage at home is not recommended for children under 3 years of age. Infants, and especially newborns, have fragile bones, weak tendons and ligaments. Seek help from a specialist, hire a professional, or take a course of procedures for free at a clinic.
Complete the foot massage with baths. First, immerse your feet in warm water. After 1-2 minutes, add cold water until the liquid has cooled completely. Then rub your soles, calves, and ankles with a hard towel.
After kneading the soles, invite the child to walk on the massage mat. Use surfaces with applicators of different sizes and shapes.
If during a massage a child experiences discomfort, pain, or limps after the procedure, it is worth thinking about the correct implementation of manual therapy techniques.
It is better to turn the massage process for preschool children into a game. Use sayings, songs, come up with a story together with your child.
If your child is afraid to do a massage in the clinic or at home, look at pictures with him depicting the procedure, ask him or older children to knead his back. This trick should rid the child of phobias.

On a note! Massage mats are easy to make with your own hands. Use rubber bath mats or a piece of carpet for the base. Attach plastic lids, stones, shells, and buttons on top.