Flatfoot - whether to treat it?

Flat feet can cause very unpleasant sensations, while among podiatry it occupies a significant place. Interestingly, the disease occurs in people as a sedentary occupations, and at performing work while standing. However, people whose work involves a long standing, complaining of pain in the feet two times more likely than people of other professions.

What is a flat and its species

Flat feet - a change in the shape of the foot with a decrease in its vaults. Lowering the longitudinal arch leads to a longitudinal flat, cross - to the cross. Often, longitudinal and transverse flat feet combined. Sometimes it combined with a flat rejection of the foot outwards.

Reduced set of children four to five years is the result of incomplete development of the foot and does not require special treatment, but the development of the foot you want to monitor and strengthen the musculo-ligamentous apparatus with the help of special exercises, starting with three-four years old.

Flat feet can be congenital and acquired. Congenital flat is rare, it is usually combined with other disorders of the musculoskeletal system and is a consequence of malformation fetal tissues. Treatment of congenital flatfoot spend the first days of the child's life.

Acquired flat depending on its cause is divided into static, rachitic, traumatic and paralytic.

Causes of flat feet

Static flatfoot is more common than other types. This predominant longitudinal flat feet, which are sometimes combined with a cross.

Causes of static flatfoot are internal and external, they are often combined. External causes include overload associated with prolonged stay on your feet (eg hairdressers), wearing shoes irrational. Internal reasons - a genetic predisposition (eg, the primary weakness musculo-ligamentous apparatus). Since the beginning of walking, and then puberty and intense growth of these children is formed flat.

Rachitic flat develops on the background of rickets, the bones become soft, pliable and easily deformed by the load at the beginning of the walk.

Traumatic flat is the result of wrong accrete fracture ankles and other bones of the foot, as well as damage to the muscles and ligaments that strengthen the arch of the foot. Paralytic flat formed in paralysis of muscles that support the arches of the foot. Previously, it occurred after poliomyelitis.

Signs of longitudinal flat

In longitudinal flat feet, pain and changes in shape of the foot. When ill-defined flat feet (I degree) there is fatigue in the legs, pain with pressure on the sole of the foot or the middle. Gait loses plasticity, in the evening there is swelling on the rear feet.

For expressions (II degree) flat foot is characterized by constant severe pain in the feet, ankles and in the lower legs. Hard selection of footwear.

With a pronounced flatfoot (III degree) there are persistent pain in the feet, legs, often in the lower back. Externally, the longitudinal arch is not defined, the heel flattened, foot swelling, ankle tugopodvizhen walking difficult, reduced capacity for work. Wearing shoes can not be mass produced.

Signs cross flatfoot

Cross flat characterized by flattening or disappearance of the transverse arch of the foot, it is the cause of the deformation of the toes. The main features of the transverse flatfoot: flatness forefoot pain and callus leather soles, the tension of the extensor tendons of the fingers. With increasing degree of cross flatfoot appear hammer toes. Diagnosis of flatfoot is put on the basis of survey data and stop rentgenovskgo research.

Treatment of flatfoot

The leading role in the treatment of flatfoot Treatment of flat feet - if there is discomfort   It takes physiotherapy. It is prescribed in varying amounts in all forms and degrees of flatfoot. Exercises therapeutic exercises strengthen the muscles ligaments, correct the incorrect installation of feet, form the stereotype correct position of the entire body and legs when standing and walking and general strengthening effect on the body, improve metabolism.

Initially, these exercises are performed in the supine position and standing, excluding the impact of body weight, when the muscles are not yet sufficiently matured. Then goes to a standing position. In addition, as the gym can be used in vivo exercise - walking barefoot on loose soil, sand, logs, climbing rope, podgrebanie feet of sand, swimming and others.

Strengthening the musculo-binding apparatus of the leg and foot massage and self-massage helps that it is advisable to carry out the muscles on the front and the inside of the leg and plantar surface of the foot.

To improve the blood supply to tissues is carried out physiotherapy. In marked flatfoot prescribe orthotics Orthopedic insoles - when they are really needed?   (insoles) with computation of the cross, or both transverse and longitudinal arch. When shown a pronounced flat feet orthopedic shoes Orthopedic shoes: comfort style is not an obstacle .

If all these measures do not help, then resort to surgery. Remember, the sooner you start the treatment of flatfoot, the greater the chance to deal with it.

  Galina Romanenko