Flat feet is a relatively common skeletal disease. Generally, patients have symptoms since childhood. Patients mainly have certain obstacles in walking. For example, patients exercise excessively or exercise for too long. Over time, it may cause some damage to the feet and bones of the body. So, what should we pay attention to when treating flat feet in general?
1. What are flat feet?
Flat feet are mainly caused by abnormal foot bone morphology, muscle atrophy, ligament contracture or chronic strain resulting in collapse of the longitudinal arch or loss of elasticity due to certain reasons. Foot pain, also known as flat feet.
2. What is the cause of flat feet?
Flat feet are caused by congenital genetic factors, bone deformities or acquired strains. It is an abnormal change of human bones, so patients with flat feet should Go see an orthopedic surgeon.
3. Congenital patients should be seen in pediatrics
Generally speaking, most patients with congenital flat feet are children, and children are not fully developed in all aspects. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with flat feet go to the pediatrician first.
4. How to treat congenital flat feet
Flat feet caused by loose ligaments are more common in teenagers and have a genetic tendency. For most patients, no drug treatment is required, and the main focus is on internal and external muscle function exercises; for a small number of patients who require surgical treatment, postoperative antibiotics and supportive symptomatic treatment are required.
5. How to judge flat feet
The easiest way is to sprinkle a layer of flour on the ground, let the baby step on it, and then look at the soles of the feet that have stepped on the flour. Generally speaking, it is normal. The inner edges of the feet of flat feet should not touch the ground, so they will not be stained with flour. On the contrary, with flat feet, most or all of the soles of the feet will be covered with flour.
6. What are the dangers of flat feet?
The disease related to flat feet is called "flat foot syndrome", which manifests as pain on the inner edge of the foot or heel, and fatigue when walking long distances. The cause may be muscle spasm or structural abnormalities of the bones. Its harm is not only as simple as pain, it will not only cause limited movement, but also cause chain reactions in other joints of the foot and even ankle joints, knee joints, hip joints and other joints, such as inflammation and deformation.
7. Principles of flat foot correction
(1) Appropriate exercise
For children's feet to develop healthily, exercise is very important. In recent years, the problem of children's flat feet has increased by about 20% compared to the 1980s, which is quite obvious. One of the main reasons is that children lack exercise. Children should do more exercises, such as pointe exercises, glass ball grasping exercises with their toes, and bouncing exercises such as rope skipping and basketball, to improve the strength of foot muscles and ligaments and promote the development of the arch of the foot. In addition, parents should also pay more attention to children's daily posture, especially children with "bucket" feet or Effectively reduce the sequelae caused by functional foot problems in children.
(2) Choose shoes correctly to prevent sequelae
Each stage of growth of children's feet should have different care methods. Mr. Wu Kunying, teaching consultant and part-time professor of the prosthetics and orthopedics course at Sun Yat-sen School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, suggested that parents should choose suitable healthy shoes for their children, which is particularly important for the healthy growth of their feet. Children wearing appropriate shoes and insoles can reduce the chance of foot sequelae and ligament damage. He added that healthy shoes should have the following elements:
1), have arch pad support of different widths to relieve arch fatigue and prevent the sequelae of flat feet;
2), There is a hard heel cup to stabilize the heel bone and control the degree of hindfoot valgus;
3) The forefoot has different girth options to prevent the forefoot from being too loose or too tight and increase foot comfort.
4) The shaped midsole design helps stabilize the foot shape and enhance the supporting capacity of the insole.
(3) Shoes and socks with good warmth retention properties
Such as cotton shoes and towel socks, which are both warm and comfortable and suitable for children. Sneakers, rubber shoes, and leather shoes have poor thermal insulation properties, dissipate heat quickly, and easily freeze feet, so they should not be worn. The size of the shoes and socks should be slightly larger, and there should be a slight gap between the feet and the shoes to facilitate air insulation and increase warmth retention.
(4) Frequently change, wash and dry shoes and socks
Children are active and their feet are prone to sweating. It is best to place insoles inside the shoes to absorb moisture and sweat and reduce heat dissipation. Change them frequently. Sun dry them often to keep your shoes dry and warm. When your shoes and socks get wet in rain or snow, they should be replaced promptly.
(5) Soak your children’s feet in hot water every night
Wash your children’s feet with warm water every night before going to bed, and cover your children’s feet after lying down. This can prevent the child's feet from getting cold, which can not only prevent colds, but also help the child fall asleep faster, which is also very beneficial to improving the quality of sleep.
8. Heritability of flat feet
Flat feet is not a 100% hereditary disease. It is a general dominant inheritance. When multiple people have this disease, their children will Easily inherited.