One of the most common reasons for visiting orthopedists is incorrect foot placement. Many babies have hallux valgus. This is a condition in which the heels deviate outward and the foot tilts inward. Orthopedic shoes for children will help correct the situation. With hallux valgus, this is a real salvation.
Diagnosing the problem
The most common diagnosis voiced by an orthopedist in his office is flat valgus foot placement. Parents themselves may suspect problems if they know how such babies differ. In children with flat valgus deformity, you may notice that the heels and toes deviate outward, and the middle part of the foot sags. In a standing position, you can see that the child's legs form the letter "X". Parents usually pay attentionfor shoes that wear out quickly. The sole is worn and deformed from the inside.
Often these children:
- complain about pain in the legs, pointing to the area of the feet and knees;
- are characterized by increased fatigue.
Some may experience swelling around the ankles and feet in the evening. The situation can be corrected only if the parents turn to an orthopedist and follow all his recommendations. Often doctors prescribe massages, physiotherapy procedures. Orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus should help correct the setting and consolidate the result. But it also needs to be able to choose the right one.
Causes of foot deformity
Many parents think about whether orthopedic shoes are needed for children with hallux valgus. Photos of the legs of adults who have such a curvature will help to decide. If parents do not want the child to suffer from constant pain in the legs when they grow up, then it is better to correct this problem in time. It must be understood that the development of a valgus stop can lead to:
- congenital diseases, including poor heredity, certain genetic disorders, dysplasia;
- acquired problems: rickets, foot injury, early walking, wrong first shoes.
For congenital problems, treatment begins in advance, even before the moment when the child begins to walk. BUTacquired deformities in most cases arise due to the careless attitude of parents to the selection of shoes. They buy the child sandals with soft backs, with the wrong flat insole. And this leads to the fact that fragile ligaments cannot support the weight of the child when walking and the ankles collapse under the weight of the child's weight. The early use of walkers has the same consequences.
Selection rules
Parents who are faced with the problem of improper installation of the feet of their child should know what to look for when choosing sandals or boots. Orthopedic shoes for valgus feet for children must meet a number of criteria. Among them:
- having a high and firm back;
- dense sidewalls that can hold the foot in position;
- rigid fixation of the foot;
- presence of a special orthopedic insole.
Shoes are made with a small heel - about 0.5 cm. On sale you can find models with Velcro or laces. It must be understood that orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus cannot simply be zipped. Parents should be able to regulate its volume. After all, there are children whose legs are quite dense, almost any model will suit them. And for thin kids, legs in ordinary sandals will dangle like a pencil in a box. They definitely need to tighten the Velcro or laces so that the boots or sandals fit snugly around the ankle andfoot.
What can change with regular use of the right shoes
Everyone knows that the necessary orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus are quite expensive. Reviews confirm that many parents refuse to buy it precisely because of the high cost. But, despite this, it is advisable to try to allocate funds from the family budget for the purchase of high-quality shoes. If you do not listen to the recommendations of the orthopedist and ignore his advice on choosing shoes, then you may encounter such problems:
- flat feet;
- shortening one of the limbs;
- curvature of the spine;
- increased injuries.
Of course, some children outgrow this problem. Over time, the child's ligaments become stronger and the leg straightens out. But this does not happen to everyone.
Types of orthopedic shoes
If the baby's problems were detected at an early age, then serial orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus can help correct the situation. Ladomed, for example, produces models for both very young children and adults. On sale you can find sandals, boots, and winter boots. There are models with an overestimated or regular back. But you need to choose the right option only together with an orthopedist.
In addition, serial shoes can be bought only if the deformation of the foot is insignificant. It can also be used in situations where the child hashereditary predisposition to improper installation of the feet or weakness of the ligamentous apparatus. Ortek orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus can help prevent this. Parents confirm that only high-quality models can be found from this manufacturer, which can correct the deformation that has begun or prevent its development.
Requirements for orthopedic shoes
Reputable manufacturers make only quality products. But its cost is high for many. Therefore, parents who are looking for cheaper models should be aware of the requirements for orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus.
In addition to the well-known recommendations, according to which these shoes should be rigid and securely fix the foot, it is necessary to pay attention to such moments. Quality Orthopedic Models:
- made from leather;
- are equipped with a dense sole made of non-slip materials;
- equipped with a Thomas heel, which should compensate for the collapse of the middle section of the foot to the inside.
You need to understand that orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus may differ in appearance. Winter shoes, as a rule, are equipped with a denser sole. Boots look more voluminous due to the presence of insulation inside. But all orthopedic shoes differ from ordinary ones in appearance. After all, she has a specialconstruction, rigid sidewalls and a tight heel counter.
Insole choice
When choosing sandals or boots, attention should also be paid to the element that will support the correct arch of the child's foot. There are several types of orthopedic insoles. Each of them is used for specific problems.
The insole must not be glued or otherwise fixed. Parents should always have access to it. After all, it needs to be cleaned or replaced periodically.
In orthopedic insoles, they always make a hard podvodnik (better-known name - arch support pad). This allows you to form the correct bend of the foot and prevent the development of flat feet. To maintain the arch, doctors recommend using the VP-1 insole. But with plano-valgus deformity, the VP-2 model is needed. Such an arch support insole is equipped with a nest for placing the heel, longitudinal arches are laid out in it, and an arch support is located in the heel section.
Special Recommendations
Having bought orthopedic shoes, not all parents know what to do next. Some wear it only for an hour walk on the street, others allow the child to take it off only at night. The recommendations of orthopedic doctors boil down to the fact that children should wear orthopedic shoes 4-6 hours a day. But sometimes it is necessary that the child is in corrective models for a longer time.
With the correct use of shoes, the load on the ligaments of the child is reduced andleg muscles. Your baby's posture improves automatically. Due to the fact that the shoes firmly hold the foot in the correct position, the child's legs begin to hurt less and stamina appears.
But forcing a baby to wear orthopedic models all day without a break is not worth it. The ligamentous and muscular apparatus must work, and this will be only if the child's leg is not fixed. You can develop them with the help of massage, physiotherapy procedures. Walking on special rugs with pebbles or hard pile is considered useful. An ordinary Swedish wall can become indispensable for children with flat-valgus deformity.
Parent reviews
Before purchasing orthopedic models, many people want to find out if they are really good. Some argue that without them it will not be possible to correct the setting of the feet, while others say that over time the leg will align itself.
But if all children's ligaments strengthened over time, then there would simply be no adults with incorrect foot placement. But, unfortunately, not all parents pay attention to this problem in time.
According to the majority of parents who used special models, orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus allow for long-term use to correct the setting of the feet. But it is difficult to correct the situation with one shoe. It is also necessary not to forget about massage and adequate loads on the legs that occur when walking on special mats withpebbles.
