Flat feet: symptoms, causes and treatment

Legs are one of the most important parts of our body. The entire main burden falls on them. It is important to monitor the health of your feet and notice everything that happens to them.  The topic of this article is flat feet. Why it occurs, how to recognize it and how to treat this imperfection.

Symptoms of flat feet

It is not difficult to recognize this disease. Among its symptoms are the following:

• pain radiating to the feet, knees, hips or back;
• migraines;
• change in color of the skin of the foot;
• it is difficult to maintain balance while squatting;
• fatigue after physical activity and at the end of the day;
• particularly strong trampling of shoes on the inside;
• It is easier for a person to bend his body than to sit down;
• periodic cramps of the calf muscles;
• clubfoot gait;
• often ingrown toenails on the big toe;
• problems with posture;
• due to the lengthening of the foot, old shoes become small;
• change in the shape of the foot - protruding bones, incorrect proportions of the calves, toes or shins.

If you find some signs of this disease in yourself, do not waste your time - consult a doctor. You will be given a full examination, tests taken and x-rays taken. Flat feet can greatly ruin your life, because it distorts the gait and creates discomfort when moving. Neglected flat feet can lead to deformation of the core of the body - the spine. Which, in turn, threatens the further development of osteoporosis.

Causes of flat feet

The development of flat feet directly depends on its origin. Among the causes of foot deformities are the following:

1. Congenital pathology. A rather rare case, it occurs in approximately 3 people out of 100. It is caused by an insufficient amount of connective tissue and a violation of the location of the bones. This is difficult to identify, since before the age of 6 all children have signs of flat feet.
2. Injuries to the ankle, ankle, heel, or soft tissues that support the arches of the feet.
3. Past diseases that affect bones and joints - polio, stroke.
4. As a result of rickets (lack of vitamin D), muscles weaken, bones become soft and deformed.
5. Weak ligaments and muscles. The most common cause of the disease. Factors influencing this:

• overweight;
• neglect of sports;
• wearing uncomfortable shoes with very high heels;
• a large amount of time spent on your feet;
• age-related characteristics - in children the ligaments are not strong enough, in the elderly muscle degeneration occurs.

The main percentage of cases of the disease develops in childhood. Be attentive to your child, do not miss scheduled visits to the orthopedist. It is also recommended to wear orthopedic shoes or at least insoles until the child reaches 7 years of age.

Types of flat feet

The typology of the disease directly depends on the factors that led to the occurrence of the problem. Orthopedic doctors distinguish the following types of disease:

• congenital flat feet, developmental pathologies inside the womb;
• statistical appearance, weakening of muscles due to overload of the legs or heredity;
• rachitic, as a consequence of a previous illness;
• traumatic flatfoot occurs after injuries - fractures or ligament ruptures;
• paralytic type, muscle paralysis.

Degrees of flat feet

Like any other disease, flat feet have their own stages of development.  Stages of foot deformation:

1. Early. There are no pronounced symptoms, the bones are not deformed. But the ligaments are already beginning to stretch, which leads to pain. As a rule, discomfort is felt precisely after exertion or long walking. To alleviate the condition, you just need to give your legs a rest.
2. The first stage, early flat feet. Heaviness at the end of the day, occasional mild swelling. Pain on palpation of the feet.
3. The second stage, combined. The shape of the foot is distorted, a clear plane is formed instead of an arch. It becomes difficult to walk, pain occurs more and more often.
4. The third stage, direct flat feet. Accompanied by severe pain in the lumbar region and migraines. Difficulty in moving even just walking.  It is difficult to perform usual simple actions; sports bring great pain. There is a clear change in the shape of the foot, calluses appear, and the toes become bent. You can reduce discomfort by wearing orthopedic shoes.

Treatment of flat feet

Many people mistakenly consider flat feet to be a completely harmless feature of the body. While this is a very cunning and insidious disease, which quickly develops into serious forms. This pathology can be completely cured only in childhood; later it cannot be eliminated.

It is very important to detect the “enemy” as early as possible. In the initial stages of the disease, physical therapy therapy to strengthen muscles and ligaments is possible. Exercises must be done every day. The program is developed by an orthopedist individually, based on the form of the disease, stage and age of the patient.

In addition, physiotherapy and medications are used to relieve pain. It is also recommended to use therapeutic massage to stimulate blood circulation and relaxing baths.

List of stages of the disease and doctor’s recommendations on them:

1. Pre-disease. For normal functioning of the legs, you need to give them rest and walk correctly. You should not spread your socks, as this will cause clubfoot.
2. Initial stage. You should also relax your muscles more often.
3. Combined, with this type of disease it is necessary to wear orthopedic shoes and not put stress on the legs.
4. Severe stage, corrected only with surgical intervention.

Prevention of flat feet

As mentioned above, flat feet begin to develop in childhood. To prevent complications, you must follow these simple rules:

• Let your baby go barefoot as often as possible.
• You should not put any slippers or sneakers on your child until he is one year old. The best shoes at this age are wool booties.
• You should not overload your child with sports. Only feasible loads, which are enough for development.
• Regularly massage baby's legs and perform light exercises.
• Do exercises every day to strengthen your tendons. Walking on tiptoes and heels, picking up sticks with your toes.
• Buy your child only high-quality shoes.

The right shoes should:

• be true to size, with a small margin of 1-1.5 cm;
• do not squeeze the foot, but also sit tightly;
• minimum internal seams;
• be made from high-quality natural materials;
• have a high hard back;
• have non-slip soles;
• have a heel no more than 1.5 cm;
• Children under 2 years old should not wear shoes with arch support.