What flat feet threaten and what to do with it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Flat feet are not an excuse from the army, but a serious problem that makes it painful to walk and even sit. The life hacker figured out how to conduct a simple test for flat feet and how not to turn legs into flippers.

What is flat feet and where does it come from

Flat feet is a deformity of the foot. In a healthy person, the bones form two vaults: longitudinal and transverse. They look like an arch in the midfoot. Such an arch serves as a shock absorber, helps to distribute the load when walking.

In a sick person, the foot comes into contact with the floor when walking. Bones and joints suffer from this.

All young children have flat feet to one degree or another. It is not associated with deviations, but manifests itself because the child is still growing and forming. Therefore, until the age of 5–6 years, the diagnosis of flat feet is not made.

The arch of the foot is made up of bones, ligaments, and muscles. When the ligaments and muscles cannot work normally, they do not support the bones in the correct position, flat feet develop. Most often, flat feet begin to form in childhood and adolescence and only gets stronger over time.

The main causes of flat feet:

1. The legs are not loaded enough. If you do not walk, run, exercise, and generally sit constantly, the muscles will not work, weaken, and will not be able to perform basic functions.
2. The load on the legs is too high. This happens due to excess weight or if you have to stand a lot without moving. This also includes uncomfortable shoes and high heels: you cannot always keep your foot in an uncomfortable position.
3. Injuries and illnesses. These are fractures, paralysis, rickets in childhood.

However, sometimes flat feet are a genetic hello from parents, when the normal arch of the foot is not formed due to heredity.

What does flat feet lead to?

If the degree of flat feet is small, then it does not cause inconvenience. But if the foot is strongly deformed, unpleasant consequences appear: the legs quickly get tired and swell, and begin to hurt.

As mentioned above, the arches of the foot are needed to spring and distribute the load when walking and in an upright position. When the foot is not doing this, the load falls on other joints: knee, hip. They hurt, the person's gait changes. The spine also suffers. Flat feet can lead to serious problems, including herniated discs.

That is why people with flat feet are not taken into the army: high physical activity during service can lead to spinal injuries.

If flat feet are not treated, the deformity of the feet increases, heel spurs, painful bones on the thumbs, and calluses appear.

How to detect flat feet

Flat feet are longitudinal and transverse. But in its pure form, this is rare. To find out if you are having problems, you need to look at the curves of the arches.

To do this, conduct an elementary test. Such a measurement is arbitrary and approximate, but does not require calculations. Lubricate the foot with dye (for example, finger paints for children, which are easy to wash off) or greasy cream. Then stand with both feet on a sheet of paper (feet should be 10-15 cm apart) and analyze the print.

Start by drawing a straight line between the protruding parts of the inner edge of the foot. Then find the middle of this line and lower the perpendicular to the opposite edge of the foot. Divide the resulting line into three equal segments.

Make a footprint on a piece of paper

Draw a straight line between the prominent points on the inner side of the foot.

Find the midpoint of the line and lower the perpendicular to the outer edge of the foot

Divide the line into three equal segments: my legs are more or less normal.

Normally, the vault imprint should occupy one third of the line, maximum - half. If the print has exceeded these values, then it is time to go to the doctor, who will conduct a more accurate diagnosis, send it for X-ray and give recommendations.

How to treat flat feet

It is almost impossible to completely get rid of flat feet, especially if it was noticed late: the deformation affects the bones, and they cannot be easily altered. But treatment restrains the disease, does not allow it to develop. What helps with flat feet:

1. Operation. Surgical treatment is required in severe cases.
2. Medicines. They are prescribed by a doctor to relieve pain and tension.
3. Physiotherapy. The referral to the course is also issued by the doctor.
4. Massage. Stretch your feet yourself and do not forget to take courses of therapeutic massage several times a year.
5. Special footwear and instep insoles. With a mild degree of flat feet, they help well to slow down the development of the disease. But they cannot be constantly worn for prevention, so as not to weaken the muscles. For difficult cases, orthopedic shoes are made to order.
6. Physiotherapy. This is an effective way to correct flat feet, but you need to exercise regularly.

Exercises for the treatment and prevention of flat feet

Exercises for the treatment and prevention of flat feet have a big plus: they are fun and not boring to perform. Some are like a school gym workout.

1. Walk on toes and heels, on the inside and outside of your feet.
2. Walk with closed toes and raised toes.
3. Take off your shoes and use your feet to roll a small, tight ball or water bottle.
4. Pick up small objects from the floor by grabbing them with your toes.
5. Stand still, roll from toes to heels.
6. Sitting or lying down, rotate your feet in different directions.

Do some of these exercises throughout the day. For example, while sitting at your desk, rotate your feet, or walk on your toes and heels on the way home from work.

There are also some exercises that you should devote 5 minutes after work.

1. Sit on a chair, spread your knees and bring your feet together. Press the toes of your feet together, and pull the heels back and connect. Imagine that you are a frog clapping his heels.
2. Pat your leg from toe to knee with the foot of your other leg.
3. Squat on your toes. Take a gymnastic stick (round), stand on it and squat.
4. Sit on a chair, put a paper napkin on the floor. Collect it with your toes without lifting your feet off the floor.
5. Draw with your feet: at least with finger paints, at least with pencils.

How to prevent flat feet

Children are regularly examined by a surgeon, so do not miss the required appointments: the doctor will notice if something is wrong with the development of the child.

Adults will have to watch their feet on their own. It's not that hard: measure the stress on your feet, maintain a healthy weight, and wear comfortable shoes. Correct footwear is stable and loose enough not to pinch your foot. She has a small heel (up to 3 cm), a high and solid heel.

And if you cannot live without beautiful, but uncomfortable shoes, then at least do not wear them from morning to evening and often do warm-up for your feet.