How to determine flat feet?

Flat feet in children - how to determine?

You can make a relatively accurate diagnosis of "flat feet" in a child yourself. It's not difficult: there is a simple test "How to check for flat feet at home" that absolutely any parent can do. Take the child, apply any cosmetic cream to the feet of both of his legs and put them on a piece of paper (younger children will be more enthusiastic about the procedure if you use bright paint instead of cream, say, gouache). It is important to put the baby so that all his weight rests on his feet. Then the child returns to his toys/lessons, and you study the resulting imprint.Depending on age, the pattern will not be the same - you will see the difference in the degree of the imprint of the middle part of the foot. What flat feet look like and their stages can be seen in the photo.

If you suspect a pathology based on the results of the imprint, be sure to consult an orthopedist, because only he can clearly answer the question of how to get rid of flat feet in your particular case.

Important!Until two years of age, flat feet in a child are considered normal. Accordingly, there is no point in conducting the test at such a tender age. It also makes no sense to use too high an insole in shoes.

Prevention of flat feet

In general, as soon as the baby starts walking (or running, depending on his temperament), you can safely begin to introduce preventive measures that will prevent foot deformities from developing in the future. Let the baby run barefoot, forcing his feet to strain at the right points. However, smooth laminate and tiles with a heated floor will not give the desired effect. To teach the foot to cushion each step, you will need an uneven surface. Go out into nature, run on sand and grass, smooth sloping pebbles along the coast. In the cold season, the relief of the sea coast can be transferred to the house - buy massage mats and train your feet on artificial pebbles.

Other preventive measures include orthopedic insoles, proper shoes (instep support, rigid back, flexible sole), gymnastics for the feet, which can be offered to restless and capricious children as a game.

How to treat flat feet?

But what to do if, unfortunately, the diagnosis is confirmed? Perhaps the prevention was insufficient, or of poor quality, or irregular; or you ignored gymnastics, or all useful methods were crossed out, say, by incorrect shoes from the orthopedic point of view. Or, perhaps, the tendency to deformation was inherited.

In any case, flat feet will now have to be treated. You need to approach the treatment thoroughly, treat it not as eliminating an unwanted defect, but as eliminating the potential risk of getting irreversible changes in the spine and legs, and subsequently - the whole body (yes, yes, everything is so serious!).

A specialist will prescribe treatment. It will include the same massage, a set of special exercises, wearing orthopedic shoes. However, prevention and treatment, as you understand, are two big differences (the OLVI company is from Odessa, you knew :) Therefore, if you really want to quickly cure flat feet, forget the word "quickly". And approach the issue with the methodicalness of a fanatic.

The child will need regular gymnastics and massage, constant wearing of orthopedic shoes. And specifically orthopedic, aimed not at prevention, but specifically at the treatment of flat feet. A large selection of children's orthopedic shoes, with a full set of necessary signs of compliance with the right shoes, you will find in our online store. (and not only for children, by the way, we have orthopedic boots for adults, shoes and sandals)

An orthopedist will tell you how to massage for flat feet, he will also give you a list of useful exercises. Although, given the modern abundance of information, you can, if you wish, find all this information on the Internet and confirm it with a doctor. Learning how to do a massage is not at all difficult; at first, a professional can show you the correct movements. Gymnastics is also a simple science, if only you have imagination and the right props. Massage mats, barefoot walks, exercises for the legs using small objects will help.

… And yet we hope that you will get by with flatfoot prevention and will not need treatment :)