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 arches - longitudinal and transverse. Thanks to their well-coordinated work, a person is able to maintain balance, walk calmly and move around. If the foot is modified for any reason, flat feet appear, which can lead to serious consequences. If it is not treated, you can get problems with the spine (up to curvature), joint diseases. People with flat feet cannot walk for a long time and quickly, get tired even after a short stay on their feet. But how to recognize flat feet?

Symptoms of flat feet

Here are some signs to look out for.

1. After a long walk, a person gets tired, legs swell, hurt, burning sensation in calf area is felt. This condition usually overtakes in the evening.
2. Posture with flat feet changes - the spinal column becomes arched, the gait 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. Instruct patient to squat. Most people with this diagnosis are difficult to do - they cannot keep their balance.
5. Sometimes flat feet is accompanied by an ingrown nail.
6. The 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 area of ​​contact, since the arch prevents the inside of the foot from falling down onto the paper. The footprint of a patient with flat feet of a person will be wide.
7. In patients with flat feet, shoes wear quickly, especially the heel on the inside.
8. Flat feet does not allow a woman to walk in 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, you need to see an orthopedist. In the early stages, flat feet can be cured. But where does it come from?

Causes of flat feet

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

1. Rickets is the most common cause of flat feet. When the body lacks vitamin D, the bones become soft, supple.
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, conversely, too large shoe size leads to improper foot formation. Children from the very beginning should have shoes with arch support - as soon as they begin to walk on their own.
4. Flat feet can occur in athletes and people with a difficult profession who are experiencing severe stress on the legs and spine.
5. Leg injuries can also lead to flat feet.
6. Flat feet often develop due to insufficient load on the legs during sedentary work. When muscles become weak, they cannot hold body weight in position.
7. Very often flat feet develops in pregnant women. The fact is that hormones make the bones more elastic (the body prepares for childbirth), and the rapidly increasing weight gives a serious load to the arch of the foot. Because of this, pregnant women may experience symptoms of flat feet, which usually go away after childbirth. 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 foot pathology, flat feet should be treated, and as soon as possible.

How to treat flat feet at home

Flat feet is one of the diseases that can be treated at home. Here is a list of steps to take if you want to get rid of flat feet.

1. Footwear. First you need to purchase and wear orthopedic shoes. She holds the arch of the foot in the right position, accustoms the foot to become correct, not to fall inward. With a slight degree of flat feet, orthopedic shoes can be replaced with special insoles with arch support.
2. Walks. In the summer, you should walk as much as possible on bumps with bare feet. A rough asphalt surface, sand, pebbles, lawn, etc. will do. During this walk, the active points of the foot are affected, it is formed correctly, the muscles of the arch of the foot train. In winter, you can walk on scattered peas, buttons, pebbles and other small items.
3. Massage. Against flat feet, a massage that a professional should do is very effective. An experienced massage therapist kneads the arch of the foot, makes stroking, patting, circular, tingling, rubbing and other movements. It is important to warm up the feet, give them the desired shape, increase blood circulation. A massage course will bring you much closer to recovery. At home, you can use special massagers or massage mats.
4. Rolling over. It is very useful to roll various objects with your feet. It can be a bottle, rolling pin or a simple roller. Moreover, you should roll the item not only across, but also along. You can spread a small towel on the floor and collect it with your toes. This exercise trains the muscles of the arch of the foot.
5. Physical activity. To use the feet and develop their muscle corset, you need to move as much as possible. It is very effective to go hiking, skiing, crawl, skate and roller skate. These sports best develop the muscles of the feet.
6. Gait. It is very important to monitor your gait - this is the basis for the correct setting of the foot. The shoulders should be straight, the back straight, the legs should be parallel to each other. When walking, make sure that your feet rest on the outer edge of the foot.
7. Baths. Before exercise and massage, you can do baths to soften the skin of the feet and relax 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. Bike. Cycling is a very effective exercise against flat feet. And you need to ride 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 medications or through the sun - walk more under ultraviolet rays. But remember that vitamin D is absorbed only in the morning, so morning walks are much more beneficial.
10. Log. Walking on a log of medium diameter is very useful for flat feet, because this position of the foot leads it to its natural shape. It is best to walk along the log sideways.

In addition, you need to monitor the diet, if there is excess weight. Indeed, overweight only exacerbates the course of the disease. Another effective way to get rid of flat feet is through exercise.

Therapeutic exercises against flat feet

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, feet on the outside of the feet. In this position, turn the housing to the right and left as far as possible. Hands on the belt. You should try to keep your balance.
2. It is very effective to walk on the outside and inside of the feet.If you combine this exercise with walking on bumps, it will be even more useful.
3. Stand straight and begin to roll from toe to heel and back. Keep your hands on your belt.
4. Walk around the room first on the heels, and then on the toes. Hands should be raised up.
5. It is very useful to work with the fingers, this exercise helps to train the muscles of the arch of the foot. Sit and stretch your legs in front of you. Squeeze and fan your toes alternately. Each movement should be at the limit of possibilities - do it as intensively as possible.
6. This exercise is also performed while sitting. Alternately, you need to rotate the feet in one direction or the other.
7. While sitting on a chair, pull your socks towards you as much as possible. Lock in this position for a few seconds.
8. Take a long rolling pin or gymnastics stick. Bare feet move along the length of the selected object, placing the heel close to the toe of the other leg. Try not to leave the subject - keep balance.
9. Take a small ball the size of a nut and pinch it with your toes. Walk 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 item. Repeat the exercise 10 times with each leg.

Flat feet can be cured on their own, but this requires patience and regularity. If you do exercises daily at least for a month, you can see a very real result.

Flatfoot is a disease that develops rapidly and is not amenable to any treatment. Flatfoot can be completely cured only in a child under five years old. 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 correct posture and gait.

Video: surgical treatment of flat feet