The treatment of flat feet today is an urgent problem, since the deformity of the feet in the form of a decrease in height and the shock-absorbing properties of their arches is a very common and, moreover, a very difficult disease of the bone and muscular system. Static flatfoot, which occurs in more than eight cases out of ten, can irreversibly change the location of the bones of the foot (and there are about three dozen in this area) with the natural biomechanics of the distribution of body weight on the limbs during walking.
The causes and treatment of flat feet are of interest to many.
In the event that you do not deal with the therapy of an ailment that pretends to be too fast fatigability of the legs while walking, and, in addition, pain and swelling, the process will begin to progress and thereby reduce the ability to move normally. Also, flat feet make it difficult to maintain the vertical position of the spine. Next, let's talk about the main methods of treating flat feet.
Basic Therapy Techniques
Specialists note that the methods of treating this deviation directly depend on its type, whether it be longitudinal, transverse, combined (longitudinal-transverse) or valgus form.
Today, the possibilities of orthopedics to treat flat feet in adults with conservative methods are limited to massages, physiotherapy, physiotherapy and the use of orthopedic insoles. It should be noted right away that there are no tablets for flat feet. The fact is that pharmacological drugs are not able to strengthen the muscles that maintain the optimal height of the arch of the feet, and besides, due to drugs, it will not be possible to eliminate the weakening of the plantar aponeurosis with the Achilles and tibial posterior tendons or give the bones of the feet a normal position.
Feet can become flatter in old age or adolescence, and also during pregnancy, if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. And, of course, overweight. Therefore, orthopedic specialists strongly advise obese people to get rid of extra pounds, otherwise the rapid development of flat feet and deformation of the bones and joints of the feet will be inevitable.
Be aware that treating flat feet in adults can be difficult. As for the treatment of its longitudinal form (the most common type of this pathology), it consists in preventing the further development of the disease, as well as in relieving emerging pain.
So, what istreatment for flat feet?
Therapy of pathology in adults
The main treatment for a disease of the first degree (we are talking about a longitudinal, transverse and combined form), when there are no obvious signs of bone deformation, are physical therapy classes, massages with warm foot baths with table s alt. As for massages, when they are carried out, the zone of the ankle joint is warmed up, and, in addition, the calf muscles.
Treatment of the transverse form of flat feet, as well as therapy of the combined type of pathology at the initial stage of the disease, is carried out using similar methods. In addition, with all types of diseases of the arch of the foot, ladies need to refuse to wear heels that are higher than four centimeters, as well as shoes that have narrowed toes. It is strictly forbidden to wear tight or, conversely, trampled shoes.
The treatment of flat feet of the 2nd degree in adults, with the exception of special exercises and massages, includes various physiotherapeutic procedures in the form of paraffin applications, ultrasonic phonophoresis with corticosteroids and electrophoresis with analgesics. The last procedure is performed if there is a pronounced pain syndrome. Magnetic therapy is also often performed. In the presence of longitudinal flat feet, when the foot collapses inward, it is recommended to constantly wear arch support insoles for at least eight hours a day.
Treatment of the transverse form of flat feet at this stage involves correcting the shape of the feet with the help of specialcuffs designed for the front, which makes it possible to slow down the process of metatarsal hypertrophy. In addition, special shoes may be needed for the treatment of flat feet, since with the transverse and combined form, a divergence of the bones of the metatarsus is observed along with the deviation of the thumb outward, as well as an increase in cartilage between the phalanges of other fingers.
Shoes for the treatment of this disease should be orthopedic. It should especially be worn with pronounced flat feet. Such shoes are prescribed by an orthopedic doctor after examination. Orthopedic shoes work most effectively, which were made by specialists according to an individual order, that is, based on a cast of the feet.
Treatment of flat feet of the 3rd degree, in which spring, balancing and jogging dysfunctions of the feet are observed, are reduced to physiotherapy, wearing special shoes, as well as to the removal of pain that occurs in the area of the ankles, knees, hips, lower back and back. With this severity of flat feet, sometimes orthopedic surgeons get down to business. Treatment methods for flat feet are constantly being improved.
Orthopedic insoles
In addition to regular performance of special exercises and massage, the treatment of valgus form of flat feet (longitudinal form of pathology) includes the use of special orthopedic insoles along with wearing shoes with arch supports and high backs. Such measures will help to contain the divergence of the feet and correct the emphasis on the inner sides of the feet during walking, which is characteristic of this disease. Orthopediststhis type of flat feet refers to congenital defects that are associated with genetic weakness of the connective tissues of tendons and ligaments, including.
By the way, the treatment of the congenital form of flat feet, which occurs in no more than three percent of cases and is very difficult to diagnose, is carried out in the field of clinical orthopedics by the above methods, which help strengthen the ligaments and muscles.
Flat feet with arthrosis and its treatment
Since the feet in the presence of flat feet do not cope well with their direct function - depreciation, a significant proportion of the ascending dynamic loads that appear during walking are experienced by the cartilages of the hip and knee joints. Articular cartilage may not withstand overloads that are not characteristic of them, and then degenerative and dystrophic changes in cartilage tissue occur, that is, arthrosis. Following this, deformation of the bone tissues of the joints can occur. With the development of transverse flat feet, arthrosis of the joints of the toes is often formed in people. Arthrosis of the metatarsal joints also occurs.
Continuing to use insoles and arch supports, as well as doing physiotherapy exercises to the best of my ability, I also have to start therapy for flat feet with arthrosis. In most situations, doctors prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to patients to relieve pain with inflammation in the joints. The following agents are used for local use: ointments with gels "Diclofenac", "Ketonal" and"Ibuprofen". These funds should be applied twice a day to the skin around the affected joint.
Treatment of longitudinal flat feet is carried out by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inside. Among such drugs, funds are prescribed in the form of Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Tenoctide, and so on. "Diclofenac" is taken orally before meals, one tablet three times a day. Ibuprofen is taken 200 milligrams three times a day. As for the Tenoctyl capsules, they are taken 20 milligrams once a day. When an exacerbation occurs, you can use two capsules once a day for two days. And then, in the next five days, take one capsule per day again.
Joint pains that occur due to flat feet are relieved with the help of compresses with "Bishofite", which are made at night. They must be performed every day for at least two weeks. And for rubbing into the area of \u200b\u200bthe affected joints, the drug "Dikrasin" is used, 20 drops each. This is done daily for two weeks.
For the treatment of arthrosis in the presence of flat feet and other pathological processes in the cartilage, the so-called chondroprotective drugs are used. Among them, it is worth mentioning funds in the form of "Artron Flex", "Teraflex", "Chondroitin" and so on. Capsules "Teraflex" orthopedists prescribe one piece three times a day during the first three weeks of therapy, and then one capsule twice a day. The duration of the treatment course should be at least two months. In order to restore cartilage tissue in the jointsprescribe chondroprotectors for injection. Among the commonly used drugs, it is worth mentioning Alflutop, Synocrom and Synvisc. Now consider the prevention and treatment of flat feet in children.
Therapy of illness in children and adolescents
According to the statement of children's orthopedists, effective therapy is possible until the age of six, since the formation of the feet is completed by this period.
In the first few years of life, absolutely all children's feet are longitudinally flat, and this is normal. In this regard, an accurate diagnosis of flat feet can be made no earlier than three to five years, however, in order to detect obvious congenital pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, orthopedists should examine newborn children during the first month of life, as well as at the age of one and at three years of age. By the way, the congenital valgus form of flat feet is determined quite early, when the baby gets on his feet. Thus, when a three-year-old child cannot stand a forty-minute walk and persuades his mother to take him in her arms, then it's time to consult an orthopedist.
The methods of treating flat feet in children do not differ from those used for adults, so orthopedists also focus on physiotherapy exercises, massages and wearing the right shoes. Properly selected shoes for a baby should have a hard back that fixes the heel to the full height, an elastic-rigid sole with an arch support is no less important. This applies to summer shoes as well. But, as orthopedic experts advise, up to two years, children's shoes should be withoutsupinator.
It is equally important to wear insoles for the treatment of flat feet, the specific type of which should be prescribed by an orthopedic doctor. The correction of the arch of the feet, along with the cessation of its subsidence in childhood, is achieved due to the fact that orthopedic insoles make it possible to position it more physiologically and properly distribute the load while walking.
Parents should keep in mind that it is at preschool age that measures taken to treat flat feet in children can have the most positive effect. Because in childhood, muscle elasticity is higher, and the process of development of muscle innervations has not yet been completed. In turn, the ratio between muscles and tendons allows, through targeted physical impact, to strengthen the ligamentous apparatus of the skeletal muscles.
Treatment of flat feet in adolescents, which is carried out on the principles already described, makes it possible to more or less correct defects in the arch of the foot. According to many orthopedic specialists, it will not be possible to completely eliminate the formed, and even more so, inherited flat feet in adolescence. The main reason is that the foot is already formed anatomically, but it still continues to grow like any other bones of the skeleton. The articular and ligamentous apparatus, along with the ratio of muscles and tendons, which are inherent in adults, are already established by the age of fifteen.
Symptoms and treatment of flat feet in children are also linked betweenyourself.
Surgery
Surgical treatment of this pathology is considered the way out in the presence of a complex foot deformity that prevents walking. Surgical operations on the feet are classified as complex manipulations, and the achievement of a positive result, that is, the restoration of the anatomical height of the arch of the feet with its functions, is not guaranteed. Here are some of the most common surgeries for flat feet:
- Performing corrective osteotomy of a part of the metatarsal bone is performed in the presence of transverse flatfoot of the first and second degree.
- Corrective wedge resection of the first metatarsal bone is performed in the presence of transverse flatfoot.
- Fixation in the state of immobility of the wedge-shaped joint is carried out in the presence of an external deviation of the first toe against the background of transverse flat feet.
- Tendon-muscular plasty of the transverse arch of the feet is performed in the presence of transverse flat feet.
- Reconstructive tendon plasty is performed in the presence of transverse flatfoot.
From the above list it can be seen that the surgical treatment of this pathology in most situations is related to transverse flatfoot. And this is no coincidence: according to medical statistics, patients with this type of pathology make up more than sixty percent of those who seek medical help for flat feet.
Consider treatmentflat feet at home.
Home Therapy
Home treatment of this disease, that is, the direct implementation of medical prescriptions at home, is not much different from the treatment of many other diseases. The only thing that cannot be done at home is physiotherapy. All other treatment of this disease does not require any medical qualifications, since massages with physiotherapy exercises can be mastered by everyone. The main condition is patience along with perseverance and faith that everything will work out.
Foot baths with the addition of table s alt are made at the rate of a tablespoon of the substance per liter of water. The temperature of the liquid must not exceed 42°C. The duration of this daily treatment is fifteen to twenty minutes.
Treatment of flat feet at home involves the stimulation of the reflex points of the feet, which is carried out while walking barefoot in the summer on grass, sandy shore or sea pebbles. And in the cold season, a massage mat can be used to strengthen the muscles of the feet in children. You can buy it or make it yourself from improvised materials by sewing buttons to any thick fabric, or you can stick dry beans with sea pebbles.
Treatment of flat feet in adults at home is not limited to this.
In addition, you can buy a massage roller, but wooden abacus put away in a closet will also work. Of course, it’s nice to have a massager at home for the treatment of flat feet. These are usually mechanical, compression, roller or vibration. True, according to the reviews of patients suffering from flat feet, no exercise equipment can replace manual massage.
Of course, it is better to go to a medical massage therapist, and then do it yourself, since the basic massage techniques for treating flat feet are quite simple:
- Legs are massaged from ankles to groin from bottom to top in the form of stroking, patting and rubbing.
- You should also massage your feet by rubbing in a circular motion.
- The arch of the feet should also be massaged with a knuckle comb while clenching the hand into a fist.
- Massage your heels one by one.
Each foot should be given no more than five minutes. Such a massage will not take much time. It is worth noting that it should be done daily and best of all in the evenings. Performing exercises for the treatment of flat feet should be carried out for at least twenty minutes twice a day.
Special gymnastics
Treatment of flat feet in adults at home involves special exercises. All exercises to strengthen the ligaments in the presence of flat feet are performed only barefoot. First, they do standing exercises: they walk on their toes, and then on their heels. Then they move with their feet on the inside. The next exercise is that, while standing, they roll their feet from toes to heels, and then in the opposite direction up to twenty times. Next, they stand on a wooden block about a meter long and placeit across the feet (while the arch of the feet is on the bar, and the heels are on the floor). You need to stay in the same position, moving with side steps along the bar. At the end, standing on the floor, you need to sit down six times. While sitting, perform the following exercises for the treatment of flat feet ten times:
- Legs are raised above the floor, performing rotation of the feet in different directions.
- Feet that are on the floor are lifted up towards the lower leg, while resting on the floor with the heels.
- Feet are on the floor. Keep your toes on the floor and lift your heels up.
- Feet are on the floor. Without lifting the heels, the fingers are pressed inward.
- Feet are on the floor. Without lifting the pads from the floor, raise your fingers up.
- Keep the same position and raise only the thumbs.
- Keep the same position, with feet grabbing a larger ball and holding it off the floor, then drop it.
- Keep the same position without lifting off the heels, using the toes to gather the pieces of fabric laid on the floor.
How to treat flat feet (pictured) is presented in the article.
Treatment of pathology with folk methods
The best therapy for flat feet is cycling barefoot. As for decoctions, tinctures of medicinal herbs, and so on - all this is powerless in this case. But pedaling is a great massage and exercise machine and partly physiotherapy.
As a folk remedy for the treatment of this pathology with the presence of arthrosis, it is proposed to carry out compresses on the diseased joint onnight. Such compresses are made from cabbage leaves, which are steamed in boiling water. Also suitable are birch leaves, clay, honey with s alt or radish juice, and in addition, rye flour with ammonia and the like for home treatment of flat feet.
There is also a recipe for an ointment for joint pain based on table s alt and mustard powder, which are mixed with a small amount of kerosene to a medium-thick slurry. Such an ointment is recommended by traditional healers to be used at night, it must be rubbed into the place above the joint until it is absorbed.
Here is another ointment recipe: take dry St. John's wort with yarrow and sage, grind everything in a coffee grinder and mix with petroleum jelly. Apply twice a day. After that, you need to warmly wrap the joint.
The human feet, due to their vaulted structure, perform the most important function in the process of walking. At the same time, the feet are the most load-bearing elements of the supporting and motor apparatus of a person. The therapy of flat feet makes it possible to minimize the excessive load on the region of the lower extremities and the spine, which means that it preserves the supporting structure of the whole body.
The importance of preventing and treating flat feet
It should be emphasized that the problem of flat feet is today the subject of many scientific research. For example, studies by a number of American orthopedic specialists have shown that in tendon tissue samples that were obtained during operations in adult patients with an acquired form of flat feet, the content of a proteolytic enzyme was increased, which is able to break downelastin with collagen (the main proteins of connective tissue). It is possible that, in the end, it will still be possible to find a really effective treatment for the symptoms of flat feet. In the meantime, as part of the prevention, people should lead a he althy lifestyle, which should be accompanied by feasible physical activity and exercise. As for women, they are advised to give up high-heeled shoes in order to avoid various diseases of the legs and feet, including.
We looked at the causes, prevention and treatment of flat feet.
