How to cure flat feet at home

Flat feet - this is not such a harmless diagnosis, which you can not worry about. Normally, the human foot has two sets - longitudinal and transverse. Thanks to their well-coordinated work, a person is able to keep his balance, walk and move around. If the foot is modified for any reason, flat-footedness appears, which can lead to serious consequences. If it is not treated, you can get back problems (up to the curvature), diseases of the joints. People with flat feet cannot walk for a long time and quickly, they get tired even after a short stay on their feet. But how to recognize flat feet?

Symptoms of flatfoot

Here are some signs to look out for.

1. After a long walk, a person gets tired, his legs swell, ache, and a burning sensation in the calf area is felt.This condition usually overtakes in the evening.
2. Posture with flatfoot changes - the spinal column becomes arcuate, the walk is unnatural (clubfoot).
3. The pain is felt not only in the legs, but also in the lower back, neck, hips, back. This is due to improper distribution of body weight.
4. Ask the patient to squat. Most people with this diagnosis make it difficult - they cannot keep their balance.
5. Sometimes flatfoot is accompanied by an ingrown nail.
6. Feet should be painted with paint and ask the patient to step on the paper. A healthy foot in the center will have a thin zone of contact, because the arch does not allow the inside of the foot to fall on the paper. The trace of a patient with flat-footed man’s feet will be wide.
7. Patients with flat feet wear their shoes quickly, especially the heel on the inside.
8. Flat feet does not allow a woman to walk on his heels - she feels very uncomfortable, her legs hurt.
9. With flat feet, the foot begins to deform very early, “bones” appear on the legs.

As soon as you notice similar symptoms in yourself or your child, it is necessary to see an orthopedic surgeon.In the early stages, flat feet can be completely cured. But where does it come from?

Causes of flatfoot

Here are some factors that could be the cause of this disease.

1. Rickets is the most common cause of flatfoot. When the body does not have enough vitamin D, the bones become soft and pliable.
2. Flat feet can occur due to overweight. In this case, the arch of the foot simply does not withstand the load and bends.
3. Wearing a narrow, uncomfortable or, on the contrary, too large in size shoes leads to the wrong formation of the foot. Children from the very beginning should have shoes with an arch support - as soon as they start walking on their own.
4. Flat feet can be in athletes and people with a heavy profession who are experiencing serious stress on the legs and spine.
5. Injuries to the legs can also lead to flat feet.
6. Flatfoot often develops due to insufficient load on the legs during sedentary work. When muscles weaken, they cannot hold their body weight in the right position.
7. Very often flatfoot develops in pregnant women.The fact is that hormones make bones more elastic (the body is preparing for childbirth), and the rapidly increasing weight gives a serious load to the arch of the foot. Because of this, pregnant women may develop symptoms of flatfoot, which usually disappear after giving birth. Due to the fact that the arch of the foot bends, a pregnant woman may even notice that the size of her legs has increased.

Whatever the reasons for the development of pathology of the foot, flat feet should be treated, and as soon as possible.

How to treat flat feet at home

Flatfoot is one of the diseases that can be treated at home. Here is a list of measures to be taken if you want to get rid of flat feet.

1. Footwear. First you need to purchase and wear orthopedic shoes. She keeps the arch of the foot in the right position, teaches her leg to become correct, not to collapse inside. With a mild flatfoot, orthopedic shoes can be replaced with special insoles with instep support.
2. Walking In the summer, you should walk as much as possible on uneven legs with bare legs. Rough surface of asphalt, sand, pebbles, lawn, etc.During this walk, the active points of the foot are affected, it is formed correctly, the muscles of the foot are trained. In winter, you can walk on spilled peas, buttons, pebbles and other small items.
3. Massage. Against flatfoot is very effective massage, which should be done by a professional. An experienced massage therapist kneads the arch of the foot, making stroking, patting, circular, tingling, rubbing and other movements. It is important to warm up the feet, give them the desired shape, increase blood circulation. The course of massage will bring you much closer to recovery. At home, you can use special massagers or massage mats.
4. Rolling. It is very useful to roll various objects with your feet. It can be a bottle, rolling pin or a simple roller. And you should roll the object not only across, but along. You can spread a small towel on the floor and collect it with your toes. This exercise trains the muscles of the foot.
5. Physical activity. To use the foot and develop their muscular corset, you need to move as much as possible. It is very effective to go hiking, skiing, swimming a crawl, skating and rollerblading. These sports best develop the muscles of the feet.
6. Gait. It is very important to keep track of your gait - this is the basis of proper foot setting. The shoulders should be straightened, the back should be even, the legs should be parallel to each other. When walking, keep your feet resting on the outer edge of the foot.
7. Baths. Before exercises and massage, baths can be made to soften the skin of the feet and relax the muscles. For every liter of warm water you need to add a tablespoon of sea salt. Keep your feet in warm water for 15-20 minutes.
8. Bicycle. Cycling is a very effective exercise against flatfoot. And you need to drive without shoes. In this case, the load just falls on the arch of the foot, giving it a natural healthy bend.
9. Nutrition. To strengthen bones you need to eat more foods that contain calcium. You can get the proper dose of vitamin D from drugs or through the sun - walk more under the rays of ultraviolet radiation. But remember that vitamin D is absorbed only in the first half of the day, so morning walks are much more useful.
10. Log. Walking on a log of medium diameter is very useful when flat-footedness, because this position of the foot brings it into its natural shape. It is best to walk sideways along a log.

In addition, you need to follow the diet, if there is excess weight. After all, overweight only aggravates the course of the disease. Another effective way to get rid of flat feet is exercise.

Therapeutic gymnastics vs flatfoot

Gymnastics is the basis for the treatment of many orthopedic diseases. Here are the most popular and effective exercises for leveling the arch of the foot.

1. Stand straight, put your feet on the outside of the feet. In this position, rotate the case as much as possible to the right and left. Hands on the belt. You should try to keep balance.
2. It is very effective to walk on the outside and inside of the feet. If you combine this exercise with walking on irregularities, it will be even more useful.
3. Stand up straight and start rolling from toe to heel and back. Keep your hands on your belt.
4. Walk around the room first on your heels and then on your toes. Hands at the same time should be raised up.
5. It is very useful to work with fingers, this exercise helps to train the muscles of the foot. Sit down and stretch your legs in front of you. Alternately squeeze and fan toes.Every movement should be on the limit of possibilities - make it as intense as possible.
6. This exercise is also performed while sitting. Alternately, you need to rotate the foot in one direction or the other.
7. Sitting on a chair, pull the socks towards you as much as possible. Lock in this position for a few seconds.
8. Take a long rolling pin or stick for gymnastics. Bare feet move along the length of the selected object, putting the heel close to the toe of the other leg. Try not to leave the subject - keep your balance.
9. Take a small ball the size of a nut and squeeze it with your toes. Walk on the floor with this ball, trying not to drop it. When the exercise becomes easy enough for you, do it simultaneously with two balls - in each leg.
10. Put a pencil or pen on the floor and try to grab it with the fingers of one and the second leg. Lift the subject. Repeat the exercise 10 times with each leg.

Flatfoot can be cured on its own, but it requires patience and regularity. If you do exercises every day at least for a month, you can see a very real result.

Flatfoot is a disease that is rapidly developing and is not amenable to any treatment. Flatness can be completely cured only in a child under five years of age. Older children and adults can only adjust the arch of the foot and slightly improve the situation. Do not start flat feet, because our mood and well-being depend on the correct posture and gait.

Video: surgical treatment of flatfoot