A caring mother will never miss even the slightest indisposition of her baby.
Sometimes she suddenly notices that her beloved child walks in an unusual way, incorrectly puts a leg, complains of pain in the lower extremities and fatigue even after passing a small stretch of road, a couple of tens of meters long.
Of course, many parents almost immediately begin to sound the alarm. And this is no accident, because to miss a serious illness is very simple, just enough not to notice the first symptoms. In this case, fatigue and pain in the legs, improper staging and curvature of the feet can signal a very unpleasant problem: valgus deformity of the feet.
What is valgus deformity in children and how to diagnose it?
It is quite simple to understand that your child has any abnormality or pathology on the part of orthopedics. Take a look at the baby's legs: ideally, they should be completely flat, and the distance between the knees, ankles and calf muscles should be symmetrical. If you can visually draw a straight line through these three points, then there is nothing to worry about. And when the situation is different - it is worth contacting an orthopedic surgeon.
So let's consider abnormalities that should alert moms and dads:
1. A child walks, in your opinion, incorrectly, that is, his legs resemble the letter “X”, his knees almost touch each other when walking, and the baby’s ankles are widely separated to the sides,
2. If you ask a child to lie down on a flat surface and knee down, it becomes noticeable that even with one knee after another, the bones on the ankles do not close,
3. Try to put your son or daughter to your back and see how smooth the legs are. The valgus deformity is visible quite well: with relatively even legs, the heels seem to “leave” on opposite sides of each other,
4. Pay attention to your baby's shoes. With flat valgus curvature, only one half of the sole is ground;
5. The baby forms an obvious flat-footedness, and those places where the arch of the foot should be simply “collapse” inside and touch the floor when walking,
6. You hear the child's constant complaints of significant pain in the legs, he limped or put his feet toes inside.
According to these signs, parents will be able to determine if their baby has a pathology of the lower extremities, which requires the intervention of doctors.
In turn, the orthopedist-traumatologist at the reception will carefully examine the baby’s feet, measuring their length, the deviation angle of the heel and knee joint. If this angle exceeds 5 degrees, it means that you are sounding the alarm for good reason and the child will certainly need pathology therapy.
What is flat valgus deformity of the foot
Flat valgus deformity of the foot in a child suggests that there is a curvature of the joints plus flat feet, that is, a complete absence of the arch of the foot. Often, such a diagnosis may be adjacent to the valgus deformity of the knee joints, which is a fairly noticeable defect: the legs resemble the letter “X”. There is another pathology, when the baby's feet are curved in the opposite direction, that is, they have a support not on the arch, but on the outer edge. In this case, the legs at the ankles may close, and at the knee joints, on the contrary, are separated and resemble the letter “O”. This problem is called varus deformity.
Valgus deformity with flat-footedness is often a congenital abnormality, and heredity is considered to be an important factor. If mom or dad has similar problems, it is likely that the baby will be born with a similar disease.
Usually in a child who is just beginning to take the first steps, the ligaments are rather weak, and the musculoskeletal system is not well developed. Until the age of three, mom and dad should not panic: very young children may well learn to walk, run and even jump with twisted legs, without feeling discomfort. By about 4-5 years, the situation will change and the legs will level off on their own, without any intervention from the doctors.
When the beloved child is already more than five years old, and the problem is still very noticeable or the child feels serious discomfort during active movements, the pathology inevitably has to be treated, otherwise it will not do without unpleasant consequences. First, the foot is deformed irreversibly, and then the knee joint due to constant loads. Secondly, it will entail the curvature of the hip joints, and subsequently the spine. Needless to say how severe ailment is considered to be deformity of the vertebrae? Not only is malaise such as scoliosis can cause pain and discomfort, it also leads to disability in severe cases.
Moreover, the occurrence of concomitant diseases, such as osteoarthritis of the knee and hip joints, as well as valgus deformity of the thumb, is allowed.
You probably noticed this problem in many adults: the big toe is crooked and “climbs” like a second finger. At the same time, the other fingers on the foot are significantly bent, and the bone begins to bulge strongly and even hurt.
Lack of vitamin D and rickets also cause the development of valgus deformity of the foot.
Methods of treating valgus deformity in children
Treatment of valgus foot deformities should begin with a visit to a qualified orthopedist. The doctor will evaluate the degree of curvature, carefully listen to the complaints and make a diagnosis.
Usually with small deformations, it is enough to perform the following measures:
• Recommend wearing specific orthopedic shoes. Perhaps one of the parents will not like it because of the specific appearance, however, nowadays, the manufacturers create shoes for babies that are quite modern and very cute. In addition, the little patient will not have to walk in her whole life, the most important thing is that the rigid backdrop and well-chosen orthopedic insole will do their job: after a while mom and dad will appreciate how much smoother the baby's legs have become.
• Without a doubt, take a few massage courses. For this, it is worthwhile to involve an experienced massage therapist who will perform certain exercises with the baby to help develop the muscles of the foot. Parents can learn to do this massage on their own at home.
• Do massage foot bath with pine extracts and sea salt. Such procedures relax the baby's legs, relieve increased muscle tone and tension from the ligaments.
• Attend a swimming pool.
• Purchase individual massage mats or do it yourself. Walking on a flat floor will not change the situation for the better, but, on the contrary, can only aggravate it.
• Conduct gymnastics sessions and do daily training complex, aimed at correcting the child's foot. Alternatively, try to go to physical therapy classes.
How to make massage pads for the house with your own hands?
Mats for foot massage baby can be bought in specialized stores, in the same place where orthopedic shoes are sold. But on your own you can try to sew a foot massage pad.
For example, take a thick fabric: felt, jeans or any other that you have at home. Sew on the perimeter of the fabric buttons of different sizes, and then fix the mat on the floor using a furniture stapler so that it does not wrinkle and not move when the baby steps on it. Such a rug is better to attach to a wooden floor, because furniture brackets are not mounted to the tile.
You can also use soft tiles in the form of a puzzle as a basis. Using a hot glue gun, try gluing sea smooth stones, glass stones for aquariums, beans, or large coffee beans to them. Even for a preventive mat soft curlers are suitable, which ladies use for styling during the night's sleep.
Excellent prevention of valgus foot deformity is walking on the ground, grass and sand. Therefore, in the summer, be sure to go with the baby out of town, to the country or arrange a vacation at sea.
Radical therapy
Much to my regret, sometimes the curvature of the feet in children cannot be won with the help of exercise therapy, orthopedic shoes or massages. In this case, it will be necessary to apply more radical ways of recovery from this pathology.
For example, you can try medical electrophoresis. It will help to deliver drugs through the skin, acting on the desired areas of electric current. Do not worry, this procedure is painless. All that the child feels is tingling, but the overwhelming number of children do not experience discomfort during the procedure.
Another option for getting rid of valgus deformity is magnetic therapy. The physiotherapeutic action during this procedure is carried out by means of a magnetic impulse. It speeds up blood circulation in certain areas, has an anti-inflammatory effect and reduces pain.
Surgery for valgus deformity of the foot
Reception, which doctors try to use in the most extreme cases is a surgical operation. Operations with valgus deformities are aimed at eliminating foot defects, placing the thumb in place, as well as fixing the foot in the desired direction.
Typically, during the operation, fixing titanium screws or wires are used, which are subsequently removed if they cause significant discomfort to the patient. The operation is rarely carried out in young patients, more often this method is referred to at an older age, closer to 18 years.
Curvature of the feet in children is a problem that can be solved by doing with standard methods of therapy. Parents need only pay attention to the child’s walk and consult a doctor in a timely manner without triggering the disease.
