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Exercises for 2nd degree flat feet in children. Exercise therapy for the prevention of flat feet in children. Rules for performing exercises

Consists of 10–20 simple exercises depending on the age of the patient. You can do gymnastics under the guidance of specialists in a treatment room or at home. Any parent can acquire knowledge on the treatment and prevention of flat feet, even without medical education. It is enough to print out pictures with descriptions of the exercises, remember the sequence of actions, or attend one or two exercise classes with a trainer. But before that, be sure to read our article in a couple of minutes.

From this article you will learn

A little about the disease

The foot is fully formed by the age of 16–18 years. The correct sole has two grooves: longitudinal and transverse, then a person can rest on three points of the foot when walking.

If the sole is flat, then it cannot play the role of a shock absorber; the load will be distributed between the hip joint and spine. This is the main danger of flat feet.

A person with such a defect develops incorrect posture, bends bones, and hurts their legs with the slightest activity. In the future, uncorrected flat feet provoke arthrosis, arthritis, intervertebral hernias, and painful calluses form on the feet. Therefore, it is so important to eliminate the orthopedic defect before the body fully matures. It is easy to restore the natural functions of the foot with the help of conservative methods of therapy - exercise therapy and gymnastics.

Little tricks! If a child after 7 years of age categorically refuses to visit a massage therapist or does not agree to do exercise therapy at home or in a therapeutic group, invite the capricious person to look at photos of legs with untreated flat feet, tell him in detail what consequences await him. Stress is often a more effective educator than promises and persuasion.

Warm-up

Exercises for flat feet in children always begin with warm-up exercises. This is necessary to warm up the body, relieve muscle tone, and prepare the muscles for full work. Warm-up includes standard tasks: bending, swinging arms and legs, turning the head, torso and others. The main warm-up exercise is walking. Children must move in a circle, following the following instructions from the teacher or parent:

On toes - 1–2 minutes. Hands should be kept on the belt, head should not be lowered to the chest.
Count on your toes and raise your knees high - 1–2 minutes. Don’t make the rhythm too fast: one – pause – two – pause – three – pause and so on. You can speed up the pace of completing the task in the last 10–15 seconds.
Alternately on toes and heels - 2–3 minutes. Alternate the position of your legs every 8-15 steps.
On the inner parts of the foot - 1 minute.
On the outer part of the foot - 1–2 minutes.

Warm up in a fun, playful manner, turn on marching music, and encourage the “athletes.” After an 8-10 minute warm-up, you can proceed to the main part of exercise therapy.

On a note! Exercises for flat feet in children should be done barefoot. This required condition effectiveness of treatment. If the floor is cold, you can wear thin socks, but it is better to do without them and plan to exercise in a warm room.

Exercises to correct flat feet in children vary in complexity. When choosing tasks, be guided by the age and physical fitness of young patients.

Exercise therapy for children under one year old

In infancy, a diagnosis of flat feet cannot yet be made, since all children are born with even soles. The defect will be clearly noticeable later, at 5–7 years. A set of exercises for children under one year of age is recommended for all babies as a means of preventing flat feet, club feet and preparing for independent walking.

rotation of the feet in a circle;
tilting the feet in different directions;
pulling the sock toward and away from you;
connecting the feet to each other;
bicycle legs;

On a note! Perform the exercises in a lying position on those days when the baby is healthy and ready to exercise. Press, bend, and turn your feet effortlessly; use oil for massage.

Exercises for preschoolers (from 5–7 years old)

Charging duration excluding warm-up is 15 minutes. Each exercise should be repeated 7–10 times. After warming up, the baby sits on a low chair and performs the following tasks:

Lifts the legs off the floor one at a time and bends the foot upward and extends it with maximum amplitude.
Without changing the starting position, he turns the foot clockwise, then back.
Writes with his feet in even, wide circles.
Rolls a ball or stick on the floor. First with each leg, then with both.

Then he moves to the mat and lies on his back:

Raises his legs, slams his feet together.
Spins an imaginary bicycle.
Bends his knees, places his feet on the floor, spreads his heels to the sides, and holds the position for 1–2 seconds.
Without changing his position (knees bent, feet resting on the floor), he lifts his heels, then his toes.

Rolls over onto stomach:

He puts his hands back, raises his legs bent at the knees. Grabs the toe of the foot with your hands and swings in the “Boat” pose.

The final stage is performing exercises while standing:

He rises on his toes, stays in this position for a few seconds, and lowers himself.
Stands on your heels, fixes the pose for 1–2 seconds. The duration of the delay with such support should be increased gradually to 5 seconds.
He walks in a circle, first on his heels, then on his toes.
Half-squats on the toes no more than 10 times.
Walks on the outer, then inner part of the foot.
Collects small objects (balls, pencils, soft toys) from the floor with his toes.

On a note! With younger children preschool age it is best to conduct classes in game form, in Group. Parents should not only lead the process, but also become active participants in the training.

In this video you can see how to do these exercises correctly:

Complex for group classes (in preschool educational institutions)

IN kindergarten Exercise therapy aims to prevent flat feet in children. The set of tasks may be as follows:

Children do exercises on an individual massage mat:

They walk on the outside, then on the inside of the foot.
Roll from heels to toes.
They jump on their heels and toes.
"Martin". They stand on one leg, lift the other up, spread their arms to the side and bend their body. You can arrange a competition to see who can stay “in flight” longer.

Preschoolers move to a flat surface and standing perform the following tasks with a gymnastic stick:

Roll the stick on the floor with your feet.
Fix the stick behind your back with your hands and squat. You cannot lift your heels off the floor.
Place the stick in front of you and make turns on your heels and toes.

Game exercises:

I have an opinion! Dr. Komarovsky believes that untreated flat feet in children over 14–16 years of age is the result of parental negligence. With so many treatment methods, foot deformity can definitely be corrected by doing no more than 10-15 minutes a day for 1-2 years.

For school age children (from 7 to 16 years old)

Teenagers and younger schoolchildren For 7–10 years old, include more tasks with objects in gymnastics: balls, sticks, rolling pins. Medical complex vary in complexity and duration taking into account the age and readiness of the child; we recommend the following tasks as a basis:

Grabbing the ball with the inside of your feet. When the child catches the ball, it needs to be lifted off the floor and held there for a few seconds.
A teenager sits on a chair with a rug under his feet. Use your toes to fold the bedding like an accordion, then straighten it out evenly. To complicate the task, use napkins and headscarves instead of a thick carpet.
Place a stick under your soles. The child rolls it back and forth, pressing it to the floor. You can also use balls.
The schoolboy squats with support on his fingers, arms extended forward. When the exercise is mastered, you can ask to roll in a sitting position from heel to toe.
Prepare a flat board and place it at an angle on the floor. The teenager needs to walk on his toes.
Then ask the student to walk on a narrow support - a stick, a bench.
For exercise therapy, it is useful to use hard mats - the child jumps first on both legs, then on one.
The final task is wall climbing. Be sure to transfer your body weight to your feet.

As a foot massage, 2-3 times a week, use walking on grains (buckwheat, rice) or lay out a path of beans for your child. The student must stand on a natural surface with bare feet, shuffling with his soles in one place. Exercise helps improve blood flow in the legs.

On a note! Do not forget to adjust the set of exercises as the patient grows older. A teenager over 12 years old can do exercise therapy for not 15, but 30 minutes, and do 20 repetitions of each task.

Video with gymnastics for teenagers:

Physical exercise for legs with longitudinal flat feet

Longitudinal abnormalities in the structure of the foot are more common in overweight adolescents. Be sure to combine exercise therapy with swimming, diet, and control of your daily routine. Every day for 2-3 months the child should perform the following training exercises:

Sitting on a chair, raise your legs up and rotate your feet alternately.
Rise on your toes 20–30 times.
Walk on your toes for 1–2 minutes.
Clench and unclench your toes with force. You can use holding a pencil or cotton swabs.

On a note! Pain, cramps in the legs and feet while performing a set of exercise therapy exercises and after training are a signal to stop exercising. Perhaps the set of tasks is not suitable for the child in terms of intensity or complexity. For physical training correction and consultation, contact an orthopedist or physiotherapist.

Exercises for hallux valgus

To eliminate clubfoot, a standard set of exercises will not work. Add a few more tasks to exercises for flat feet:

Rolling a stick or ball with your feet in a sitting position. The child needs to press firmly on the object.
Squeezing a hard object with your toes. Use pencils, needle balls, pebbles.
Grabbing small parts from the floor with your toes.
Toe lift.

Use this workout to relax your leg muscles after a hard day, heavy workload at school, or a long walk. Perform the exercises in a complex for no more than 2-4 minutes, 30 seconds - 1 minute for each task.

Physical education for transverse flatfoot

The main cause of transverse flatfoot is insufficient development of the ligaments of the sole. The purpose of special gymnastics for such a disorder is to stretch muscles, tendons, and relieve tone. The most common consequences of transverse flatfoot are corns and crooked toes when the phalanges overlap each other.

The following exercises help prevent the negative consequences of an orthopedic defect and correct mild transverse flat feet in a child:

Walking on the inside and outside of the foot - 2–4 minutes.
Ballerina's gait (on her toes, toes extended to the maximum) - 1–2 minutes.
Squats on toes and return to the starting position while standing - 10 repetitions.
Rolling objects on the floor with emphasis on your fingers and feet - 3–4 minutes.
Run in place.

On a note! To prevent and treat transverse and longitudinal flat feet, it is effective to use rugs with an uneven surface. Be sure to buy a few pieces for home or make your own from scrap materials.

Contraindications

You will have to give up gymnastics completely or for a short time until your health condition stabilizes in the following situations:

If a child has a high temperature, signs of flu, colds.
With high blood pressure.
After leg injuries, burns, frostbite of the skin on the feet.
For anemia of any degree and etiology.
If the child has serious diseases of the cardiovascular system.
For oncological diseases.

On a note! An active lifestyle and sports have a positive effect on general state health, muscles. But you need to be careful when choosing a section for flat feet. In 90% of cases, children with longitudinal and transverse defects of the sole are prohibited from dancing, tennis, figure skating, speed skating, any sports that involve lifting weights.

Alternative Treatments

Physical therapy for flat feet in children is an effective method of treating orthopedic defects, but often schoolchildren, and adults too, are too lazy to come to classes for a long time. Parents can, of course, stimulate their kids with promises, gifts, sweet surprises after each lesson, but still, exercise remains a boring and tedious everyday process.

If you can’t cope with your child’s laziness or obstinacy, use alternative treatment methods:

Jumping on a trampoline

The method is recommended for children aged 5 to 7 years. During the charging process, not only elementary jumps are used, but also rolls, somersaults, overcoming obstacles and other tasks. The technique was developed by the institute's staff physical culture Irkutsk, has been introduced into the organization of correctional and health work with children 5–7 years old since 2013.

Author's technique "Spring-Elastic"

Developed by M.G. Triburg to give elasticity to ligaments and muscles. Treatment of flat feet is not the main goal of this set of exercises, but with their help a good therapeutic effect is achieved in children with similar defects.

Orthopedic shoes

For the treatment of flat feet, not ordinary orthopedic boots or sandals, but specially designed shoes are suitable. These are training boots. When using them, the muscles of the foot and lower leg are trained using the original shape of the shoe. Preschool children should wear them at least 5–6 hours a day; the desired result is achieved after 10–14 months in 60% of cases. The recommended course of treatment with training shoes is 2–4 years.

Sport

Swimming and sports involving jumping (basketball, volleyball) are especially useful for children with club feet. Running, cycling, and skiing are recommended for all schoolchildren with flat feet, without exception.

On a note! Some orthopedic specialists consider the importance of physiotherapy and exercise therapy for flat feet in children to be overrated. But statistics say otherwise. Regular training at full strength is effective in 60–70% of cases. Exercise therapy in combination with the right shoes, swimming pool, diet, in a healthy way life - in 70–90%. The lack of effect is often explained by failures in training, reluctance to exercise and achieve success.

Correction of an orthopedic defect will be more effective if treatment is carried out comprehensively. In addition to exercise, use other physiotherapeutic procedures. This includes massage, swimming, relaxing baths, taping. Please discuss physical therapy with your doctor.
Children with second and third degree flat feet most often suffer from excess weight. Monitor the nutrition of preschoolers, try to reduce body weight through physical activity and a strict daily routine. During intensive treatment of flat feet, it is recommended to establish a light fruit and vegetable diet, drink more jelly, eat jellied meat and jelly. Jelly-like dishes promote the formation of cartilage tissue.
Teach little fidgets to walk at home, on the beach, summer cottage barefoot. The higher the surface relief, the more effective the result will be.
Do not buy orthopedic shoes, especially if you have severe clubfoot, at random. It is better to order boots based on an individual mold of the foot. To treat first and second degree flat feet, it is enough to use orthopedic insoles, insert them into a regular pair of shoes.
Do not forget about the prevention of flat feet in infants from 6 months. Do a foot massage, do not use until 7–8 months, treat congenital hip dysplasia until six months of age, pay attention to, ask for advice from an orthopedist in a timely manner.
Carefully choose shoes for orthopedic defects and in their absence. A healthy child should wear shoes with a small heel and arch support, elastic soles, natural materials, exactly the size. Avoid using shoes with flat soles and soft backs until you are 11–14 years old.
Pay attention to hippotherapy. Horseback riding trains your back, shapes your posture, and strengthens the tendons and muscles of your legs. Before enrolling in a section or set of classes, be sure to consult with an orthopedist - patients with a severely weakened spine need special conditions for such a sport.

Flat feet are a serious ailment, but very amenable to correction, especially in preschool age. Pay attention to the orthopedic problem in a timely manner, make every effort to solve it, and in a couple of years the baby’s leg will look perfect.

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Exercise therapy for flat feet in children is a set of gymnastic exercises to strengthen the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedics provides physical therapy programs for different age groups. Regular exercise and the progression of flat feet in children.

Therapeutic exercise is aimed at strengthening the weakened muscular-ligamentous system in children. As a result, a physiologically normal arch of the foot is formed without flattening. In order for exercise therapy classes to bring practical benefits and the expected effect, it is recommended to comply with the following conditions:

perform exercises barefoot;
It is allowed to practice at home;
exercise on hard grass, sand, pebbles;
avoid concrete, asphalt, laminate, linoleum;
do it regularly - at least 2 times a day;
duration – from 10 to 30 minutes according to age;
avoid excessive physical activity;
avoid overwork and procrastination;
create a favorable atmosphere;
For children of a younger age category, classes should be conducted in a playful way.

Gymnastics for the legs for flat feet in children is combined with a contrast shower, pine or salt baths. The lesson begins with a massage of the feet, legs, thighs, giving preference to stroking, pinching, kneading, and rubbing. Pre-warming the muscles increases their elasticity, extensibility, and promotes blood circulation.

On a note!
Exercise therapy classes should be enjoyable for the child. If your legs, muscles, or rapid fatigue occur, gymnastics should be stopped immediately. It is advisable to consult an orthopedist or pediatrician to correct the set of exercises.

Activities for young children

The earlier flat feet are diagnosed, the faster the arch of the child’s feet will form. Timely correction at an early age increases the chances of a complete cure of the disease. In consultation with an orthopedist, it is recommended to perform exercises at home for flat feet in children aged 1.5-3 years.

A set of exercises in a lying position

Simple gymnastics for the legs is carried out in a lying position on a hard surface:

place your feet parallel to the floor and alternately bring your heels and toes together without lifting them off the surface;
a similar starting position is to alternately raise your heels without lifting your toes off the floor and vice versa;
place your feet on the floor and move them back and forth, moving your fingers, without lifting them off the floor;
place a small rubber ball under your feet and squeeze as much as possible with your toes;
place the soles of your feet on a special mat with a convex surface and move them back and forth;
maximum flexion of the toes into a fist and extension;
Press your toes into the floor with maximum effort.

On a note!
If a child is unable or does not want to do some exercises, you should not force him to do them. Therapeutic exercises for flat feet are not aimed at testing endurance and strength. Exercise therapy is performed in a fun playful way.

A set of exercises in a sitting position

Exercises for flat feet for children, when performed correctly, do not cause a feeling of tiredness or tiredness. Physical education for the legs is carried out under the constant supervision of adults (parents, educators):

circular movements of the feet in one direction and opposite directions;
put both feet on the ball, raise and lower it without using your hands;
raise your feet above the floor surface, pulling your socks with effort;
place your feet on a thin mat, forcefully squeezing the folds;
in the form of a game, collect small objects from the floor with your feet - toys, stones, pencils, balls;
put small toys into the box with your toes, take them back, put them in order.

Depending on the age of the child, the exercises are repeated 3-6 times. It is recommended to include them in your morning exercises.

Classes for the middle group

The objectives of exercise therapy are the formation of the arch of the foot by strengthening the muscular-ligamentous apparatus of the legs, improving joint mobility. One of the conditions for the effectiveness of gymnastics for children is regularity, thoroughness of execution, and a gradual increase in load.

A set of exercises in a standing position

If the child performs simple exercises for young children without complaints or interruptions, then you can begin other activities:

go up and down the wall bars on the playground;
rise and descend from a stick (log, bench) to the floor and back;
put your legs parallel, try to move them without lifting them off the floor;
place your feet apart, bring your toes closer together, and twist your torso;
stand on your toes, squat with your arms stretched forward, side to side, and up.

On a note!

A set of walking exercises

Corrective exercises are often carried out with gymnastic equipment - a ball, a stick, etc. At home, rolling pins, benches, washboards and other improvised devices (bags of beans, tennis balls) can be used. Types of exercises:

walking on uneven, ribbed, convex surfaces (mats, boards, logs);
moderate walking or gentle jogging gymnastic stick back and forth;
contrast walking on hard massage mat with transition to a flat floor;
walking on a hoop with the middle part of the sole of the foot;
alternate walking on a flat surface on toes and heels;
walking with support on the outer edge of the sole;
walking in place with high knees;
walking on an inclined surface.

During classes, parents control the position of the legs (they should be parallel to each other).

Efficiency and result

Therapeutic gymnastics to correct flat feet in children is a long process. It will take at least 1-2 years to correct a deformed foot. The effectiveness of exercise therapy is high for longitudinal flat feet. Regular exercise helps correct formation longitudinal arch of the foot.

With a transverse type of disease, exercise therapy does not always result in the expected result. In this case, exercises for feet with flat feet in children are combined with other corrective methods (plastering the legs, wearing orthopedic structures, physiotherapy).

Every baby born has absolutely flat feet, so it is completely incorrect to call flat feet flat feet in children.

A child’s foot takes a long time to form the correct curve – up to 12 years of age, and only after this age can the incorrectly formed soles of children’s feet be called flat-footed.

However, orthopedic doctors have their own age measures of the stages of formation of the bend of the foot. That is, for example, at one year old a child can no longer have absolute flat feet as at birth - at this age the bend must have a certain degree.

No one except an orthopedic doctor can understand this, which is why it is so important to regularly bring your child to an appointment in order to prescribe the necessary procedures in a timely manner to help the foot form correctly

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Causes

There are quite a few causes of flat feet in children, here are the main ones:

Genetic predisposition– occurs quite rarely – in less than 3% of cases, if many close relatives suffer from this disease.
Foot injury or shins.
Congenital flat feet may occur with intrauterine disorders of the formation of the feet, legs, tendons and ligaments.
Diseases that cause flat feet. For example, rickets occurs as a result of a violation of vitamin and mineral metabolism in a child’s body; one of the consequences of this disease is the occurrence of flat feet.
Paralytic flatfoot, that is, paralysis of the legs occurs when a child has cerebral palsy.
Static flat feet– occurs when the ligaments of the feet are weak, also when wearing incorrectly selected shoes.
Passive lifestyle. With a sedentary lifestyle, the feet are in an immobilized state, which means the natural formation of the bend of the child’s foot does not occur.
For example, children living in urban areas suffer from flat feet several times more often than children living in rural areas.
This happens because a child in a rural environment is more often on the street and, as a result, walks, runs, and generally moves more often. Most often this even happens without shoes.
City children living in apartments do not have this opportunity, most often spending time in the company of a computer, hence the sedentary lifestyle.

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Symptoms and diagnosis of flat feet in children

There are three degrees of childhood flatfoot:

The main symptoms of flat feet in children are:

Periodic pain in the legs, especially after a long walk or physical activity.
Swelling of the feet, sometimes reaching to the knees.
Change in gait, appearance of clubfoot.
Shoes wear down very quickly, the sole of the shoe wears off from the inside.
The foot is arched outward.

Diagnosing flat feet in a child on your own is quite difficult; until the age of 5-6 it is almost impossible.

This can only be done by an experienced orthopedic doctor who will conduct a thorough examination of the foot, identify the degree of curvature of the foot, the length and width of the foot, and examine the child’s shoes.

At older ages, diagnosis can be made using:

Plantography.
Podometry.
X-rays.

Plantography– this is, simply put, a foot print, which is obtained by painting the sole of the foot with a special paint and imprinting it on paper.

However, additional research may be required. X-rays, which are performed under load and always in two projections, will help confirm the result.

Therapeutic gymnastics for children's flat feet

Exercise therapy, that is physiotherapy , is the most effective method in the treatment and prevention of flat feet in children. It all starts with walking barefoot on the ground, pebbles, grass, but not on room coverings - carpet, laminate, linoleum.

An effective exercise is to roll a prickly ball over your foot. With age, the set of exercises changes.

A set of exercises for preschool age

IN childhood Therapeutic gymnastics is effective in the form of a game: you can walk on a rolling pin, and also pick up various objects from the floor using only your feet - children are interested in such games.

You can have a competition– who will reach the goal faster on the heels, inner or outer sides of the feet. Here it is important to turn a useful exercise into a game that the child will like.

The following are exercises that are usually prescribed for flat feet:

Sitting on a chair it is necessary to bend and straighten the feet alternately, repeat 5-10 times.
Also sitting move and spread your toes.
Spin your feet along the axis clockwise and counterclockwise, 5-10 times with each foot in each direction.
Squat on the toes.
Toes grab a pencil and try to draw something on a piece of paper.
Finish the complex You can walk on your heels.

A set of exercises for school age

For older people, the exercises become more complicated:

While sitting, place your feet on the floor, press your toes together, and spread your heels to the sides.
While sitting, lift the ball with your feet.
Bend and straighten your feet, lift small objects from the floor with your feet.
Place a piece of cloth on the floor and, while sitting, try to collect it with your toes.
Rolling the foot from heel to toe.
Squats on your toes, while spreading your arms up or to the sides.
Walk barefoot on inclined beams, gymnastic sticks and other ribbed surfaces.

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Prevention of flat feet

The following methods can be used to prevent flat feet in a child:

At every opportunity Let the child out barefoot on the grass, pebbles, sand.
At home You can have your child walk on hazelnuts or peas.
Do simple exercises for prevention - rolling the leg from foot to heel, rolling a prickly ball on the foot.
First shoes and also shoes for children under 5 years of age should be preventive, that is, have a small heel, a closed heel, a reinforced arch support, a pad at the base of the foot, and a hard high heel.
Girls under 5 years old It is strictly not recommended to wear shoes with narrow toes and high heels.
Child nutrition should be complete and enriched with vitamins - the diet should contain a sufficient amount of calcium and phosphorus.
It is necessary to control body weight child - make sure that there is no overeating. With excess body weight, flat feet occur most often.

Flat feet is a disease of the lower extremities, which is characterized by flattening of the arches of the feet. Pathology leads to the fact that:

there is an incorrect redistribution of the load on the legs when moving;
the body’s adaptability to surface unevenness is lost;
impacts on the ground when walking become noticeable;
posture is impaired, scoliosis develops;
Internal organs and skeleton suffer.

Severe consequences of an advanced or incompletely treated disease include loss of the ability to move normally, severe health problems, and gradual complete or partial disability.

Signs and types of flat feet

The arch of the foot (transverse and longitudinal) is a frame made of the bones of the tarsus, metatarsus and phalanges of the fingers, which provide a shock-absorbing function when moving. Flat feet are diagnosed in both adults and children.

Among the causes of pathology are:

overweight, obesity;
increased stress on the lower limbs, prolonged standing or walking;
hereditary predisposition;
weakness of the musculo-ligamentous apparatus (congenital or acquired);
wearing the wrong shoes (high heels, pointed toes, excessively narrow, inappropriate size).

A provoking factor for flat feet is a sedentary lifestyle (long sitting at the computer, etc.).

Flat feet happen:

congenital (caused by anomalies of intrauterine development of the fetus; rare, accounting for 3% of all identified cases);
acquired (in the process of human growth);
rachitic (develops as a consequence of vitamin D deficiency in the body);
static (observed against the background of decreased muscle tone, severe fatigue of the limbs);
paralytic (formed after polio);
traumatic (occurs due to fractures of the leg and foot).

The following types of pathological changes in the vaults are determined:

longitudinal (vertical is deformed);
transverse (horizontal changes).
combined (combines the previous two).

With longitudinal flatfoot the following are observed:

full contact of the sole with the earth's surface;
increase in length of the foot;
reducing the distance between the floor and inside Feet;
clubfoot.

Transverse flatfoot is characterized by:

reduction in size;
deviation of the thumb outward and deformation of the second.

Symptoms accompanying the disease:

rapid wear of shoes;
pain in the feet when moving;
increased leg fatigue;
feeling of heaviness in the limbs;
swelling;
change in leg size;
the toe part of the foot turns outward.

Flat feet in young children

A child’s foot is fully formed only by the third or even fourth year of life. You can identify the pathology of the arches by consulting an orthopedic doctor.

In overweight children, longitudinal flatfoot is most common. With the transverse form, the fingers expand, become deformed, the first finger turns outward, and a bone is formed.

During the first year of the baby’s life, examination by a specialist to identify pathologies is carried out at one, three, six and twelve months.

There are 3 degrees of the disease, differing in the level of severity of pathological changes.

When flat feet are diagnosed in children, therapeutic exercises, massage, and physiotherapy are prescribed. Treatment involves the use of orthopedic shoes and insoles. Surgical and medicinal methods are not used in children (up to 13-14 years of age).

The importance of exercises for flat feet

Physical therapy for flat feet in children involves a whole complex physical exercise, which can be done at home. Exercises for the feet produce a beneficial effect: with its help, the ligaments and muscles of the lower extremities are stretched, blood circulation improves, and painful symptoms, the process of normal formation of the foot is restored.

Basic rules of gymnastics

In order for a set of exercises for flat feet in children to be effective, the following recommendations must be followed:

exercise in the morning and evening;
conduct classes daily;
the duration of physical education is set depending on how old the child is (from 15 to 30 minutes, the load increases gradually and evenly);
Exercise therapy is carried out in the form of a game and exclusively under the supervision of an adult (to monitor the correct completion of tasks);
During training, balls, gymnastic sticks, special mats against flat feet, and sets of small objects are used.

Therapeutic exercises for babies

With flat feet, gymnastics for the youngest children consists of exercises for the feet (they are directed to the sole, then returned to their original position). If a child has not yet learned to walk, then his parents give him physical education.

If the baby has already begun to move independently, you should teach him how to do the following:

move alternately on the toes and heels, with the outer and inner edges of the feet;
collect small parts scattered on the floor with your toes;
walk on a gymnastic stick.

All movements must be performed barefoot, since the feet of a small patient must be formed without unnecessary pressure from shoes.

A set of exercises for preschoolers

Exercise therapy for flat feet in preschool children includes the following exercises:

move with the outer edges of the foot (during the exercise, the hands are on the belt, the shoulders are pulled back);
stand with your toes on a large exercise bar, holding onto the support, and squat as low as possible;
holding on, stand with both feet on small rubber balls and perform deep squats;
sit on a chair and roll the ball alternately with one or the other foot, then with both feet at the same time;
connect and separate your feet while sitting on the floor with your knees bent;
clench and unclench your toes;
standing and holding the back of a chair, imitate walking with your heels (toes do not come off the floor surface).

Gymnastics using a massage mat

A massage mat is an artificial surface with specially created irregularities. Walking on such a carpet helps strengthen the muscles in the feet and correct defects in the formation of the arches. Often used to prevent flat feet in children and adults.

Preventive measures to prevent flat feet

For teenagers, the following exercises for flat feet will be effective:

cross standing - the child is in a sitting position (legs crossed), then stands up, holding onto the support, and sits back down (without changing body position);
tree pose - the teenager stands on his toes, places his heels next to each other, then moves the body weight to the back of the foot, raises his toes as high as possible;
drawing - you need to sit on a chair, grab a pencil or brush with your toes and try to draw something on a sheet of paper lying on the floor;
walking on outside feet, tucking the phalanges inward.

In order to prevent the formation of flat feet in children, you need to:

monitor the diet, ensure that the child’s body receives a sufficient amount of animal proteins, vitamins, and minerals;
in the first year of life, it is better for the baby to walk without shoes;
choose shoes that are the right size with a wide toe and a tight back (you should not wear someone else’s shoes, as they may not fit the characteristics of another child’s feet);
use orthopedic insoles and instep supports;
constantly engage in physical education (exercises such as climbing rope ladders, walking barefoot on uneven surfaces, pebbles, sand, logs, pipes are recommended);
regularly undergo scheduled examinations with an orthopedist, strictly follow his advice and recommendations.

Treatment and prevention of flat feet should be started as early as possible. This will help avoid undesirable consequences, prevent the occurrence of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, dysfunction internal organs at later stages of pathology development. Exercises for flat feet in children and other therapeutic measures give noticeable results, positively affecting the health of the little patient.

As it turns out, not only adults suffer from insufficient mobility; in our time, children are not at all as active as they should be. They run and jump a little and spend more and more time in a motionless sitting position.

Increasingly, children prefer computers and smartphones to outdoor games.

It's not just computers, game consoles and TVs that are to blame for this. Often parents themselves try to make child prodigies out of their children and, from a very young age, force them to sit quietly at the table and study the alphabet, learn to read and draw. All this has an extremely negative impact on their health.

Flat feet is an insidious disease that will have very negative consequences.

Proper formation of the foot affects all vital organs and systems of the body. Normally, a healthy foot should rest on three points: the heel, the head of the first and fifth toe bone.

The foot becomes flat as a result of insufficient muscle development. Over time, bones begin to deform, developmental disorders of internal organs appear, treatment of the disease becomes much more difficult and can drag on for years.

Every parent should know a few very important things.

The earlier the diagnosis is made and prevention is started, the more successful the treatment will be. Periodic visits to the orthopedist must be done strictly according to the standards.
A doctor can diagnose the disease only after the child reaches 5-6 years of age; before this time, the normal longitudinal arch of the foot is flat. But this does not mean that visiting an orthopedist does not give anything - possible congenital bone deformations are checked in the first month of life, at 3-4 months he can see signs of rickets, by one year he will check the mobility of all joints, and at three years he will learn about the correctness of gait and posture.
The effect of treatment will be zero if parents do not directly participate in the treatment of flat feet.

If the foot does not function as a shock absorber while walking, then these functions fall on the spine and large joints.

As a consequence - scoliosis, herniated vertebral discs, osteochondrosis, arthrosis, etc. These negative changes remain for life.

Preventing a disease is much easier than treating it - this is an axiom. More than 95% of cases of flat feet are acquired developmental disorders. Physical activity is of great importance and the right shoes child.

In children's shoes, it is necessary to have an instep support; the heel needs to be high and hard. Immediately after detecting abnormalities in the development of the foot, you should buy therapeutic shoes with an increased heel height; you can purchase them only in specialized stores. The child should wear such shoes for as long as possible.

Orthopedic sandals

The presence of instep supports is a prerequisite.

Children should not wear soft felt boots, flip-flops and sandals with uncovered heels. initial stage diseases.

But the main prevention is the child’s activity, various outdoor games, running etc.

At any age, massage has a positive effect - blood flow in the feet improves, muscles develop, and minor pain or fatigue is relieved.

If your child is nevertheless diagnosed with flat feet, then you should not be upset. Proper and timely treatment can completely restore the natural functions of the foot. Among the complex of additional measures, therapeutic exercises play a vital role.

Therapeutic gymnastics for a child

It is better to carry out such gymnastics with small children in the form of games, reaching objects with your feet at speed, walking on a rolling pin, climbing stairs.

Over time, the exercises should become more complex and the training time should increase. Parents should encourage their child to bounce on their toes and heels and walk on the inside and outside of their feet. Such exercises contribute to the development of the entire muscle group.

Exercise - walking on toes

It is recommended to engage in direct therapeutic exercises for children over 5-6 years old; at this age they can do the exercises more consciously and correctly. It goes without saying that the optimal solution is that exercises should be fun, performed in the form of games. It is highly desirable that children study in groups, this will provide an opportunity not only to diversify the exercises, but also to make the classes attractive and fun for children.

The correct combination of all the above conditions can guarantee that the problem with flat feet will be successfully solved and the further development of the child will not deviate from the physiological norm.

Of course, parents must coordinate all their actions with an orthopedist; only he can give professional advice on a set of motor exercises. Periodic visits to the attending physician are also considered mandatory; this will allow you to monitor the healing process, adjust the load and the chosen treatment method.

General requirements for gymnastics

You can work out with your child both at home and in therapeutic gymnastics rooms with special equipment and devices. game types sports, ensuring the formation of arch depth and strengthening the muscles of the foot. For all age groups of children, classes should include exercises that have both a special and general strengthening effect. Exercises should not cause pain or overtire children; the principle of gradually increasing the load must be observed. Periodic examination by a doctor is required.

It is much more productive to perform the exercise twice a day for no more than fifteen minutes than once for half an hour.

Orthopedic doctors are developing a special complex for different age groups; you must adhere to their recommendations and not try to speed up the recovery time by increasing the load or duration.

Exercises for preschool children

The load is selected taking into account the child’s physical capabilities; it is strictly forbidden to force the child to do the exercises by force. Parents should understand that the appearance of negative emotions has a negative impact on the treatment process; mental state plays a very important role important role. The number of repetitions should not exceed ten, the total duration of classes no more than 15 minutes.

In a sitting position, flexion/extension of the feet is performed with the maximum possible amplitude. You can do it in turn with each leg or with both legs at the same time. In the same position, make circular movements with your feet, first clockwise and then counterclockwise.
Standing position, straight back, arms along the body. Alternately rise on your toes and lower on your heels, rest a little and start walking in a circle on your toes and heels.
Half squat standing on your toes. This exercise is quite difficult, if the kids can’t do it, put it off until later. Let the foot muscles strengthen a little; sufficient tone will make the task easier.

The following complex can be performed as a game. Try arranging a competition between the kids to see which of them can quickly remove various small objects (pens, pencils, pieces of paper, etc.) with their toes.

Try to draw with your toes, while resting you need to move/spread your toes.

At the end of the complex, let the children walk first on the inner and then on the outer surfaces of the feet. The duration of classes can be increased over time, the alternation can be changed, some of them can be repeated several times at short intervals. You can come up with movements yourself, the main thing is that during their execution various muscles of the foot are involved.

A set of exercises for school-age children

Loads can be increased, more complex movements can be used, and the number of repetitions can be increased to twenty.

Child sitting on a high chair

The heels move in/out, and the toes constantly touch the floor.
The ball is grabbed by the feet and raised to its maximum height.
The feet flex/extend. You can do the exercise with dynamic effort.
Let him try to grasp and lift various small objects. Your toes should work.
The legs move forward/backward only with the fingers, pulling the feet along the floor. Gather the rug into folds, roll a round stick with pressure to the floor, and squeeze a rubber ball with your feet.

Starting position standing

Keep your torso straight, roll from your toes to your heels and back.
Spread your arms to the sides, squat on your toes. Repeat the same exercise, only squats should be done on your heels.
Climb on gymnastic wall, distribute body weight to the middle of the foot.
A child walks on a round stick and a ribbed board.
Place the board at an angle and walk on your toes.
It is useful to massage your feet using a special mat with arch supports.

When treating flat feet, the main thing is not the duration of the exercises, but their regularity. You cannot stop exercising immediately after minor improvements appear; the positive results achieved need to be consolidated. Parents must understand that only joint efforts with doctors, perseverance and a desire to take care of their children can guarantee the success of treatment.

Using beans and buckwheat

Place it on the floor and let the child stand on it for a while, shifting from foot to foot. If it hurts, you can do the exercise with each leg in turn. Minor painful stimulation with simultaneous impact on biologically active points causes contraction of all the muscles of the foot, which leads to their strengthening.

No beans - buy special mats at the store and let the child study on them.

The effect is almost the same, but beans are much more interesting for the child, and this is an important factor. The same exercises can be done with buckwheat. Smaller grains affect large quantity active points. It is advisable to alternate beans with buckwheat, this will help improve the therapeutic effect of treatment and prevention.

The importance of orthopedic insoles

You need to understand for what purposes and when orthopedic shoes and insoles are prescribed. Insoles help elevate the foot and restore its arch. But they cannot increase muscle tone, and this is the main cause of flat feet. You should not have hopes that only with their help can the disease be cured; on the contrary, long-term wearing of special devices takes the load off the foot muscles and they begin to atrophy.

The insole is selected strictly according to the child’s foot; you need to bring his shoes to the store. The instep height is developed by doctors for each age separately; parents must indicate for which child the insole is needed. In addition, the seller must present a doctor’s diagnosis, taking into account the characteristics of the child and his actual condition Individual selection is carried out. Heel pads, pilots and orthopedic insoles are considered medical devices; self-medication can aggravate the course of the disease.

During an examination of urban children, it is discovered that 99% of them have one degree or another of flat feet; the pathology is considered a disease of the century. For your information, heredity plays a minimal role; parents themselves cripple their children through wrong actions and upbringing.