How to get rid of clubfoot in a child

"A toed bear is walking through the woods ...". How often do we read this verse to our children and don’t even think about why the bear is clumsy and whether this is the norm for him. Fancy walking from side to side is not only an aesthetic defect. If clubfoot is not treated, it can lead to severe curvature of the spine and other bone tissue. But how to distinguish clubfoot from the individual characteristics of gait? Let's figure it out in order.

What is clubfoot

Clubfoot is a disease in which the foot is deformed. The foot is turned inward. The degree of deformation can be different, only an orthopedist can diagnose clubfoot. Strong clubfoot occurs infrequently - in one child per thousand newborns. However, minor deviations can be diagnosed quite often - in 12 percent of babies.

To date, clubfoot is successfully treated and corrected. In the treatment of this disease, it is important to understand that the sooner therapy begins, the greater the effect you can get from it. Modern medicine advises starting correcting the position of the foot from a week old. The treatment of adults is much longer than the treatment of children, because the formed stiff bone is very difficult to straighten to the desired position. It will take time and patience to completely get rid of clubfoot.

Causes of clubfoot

Clubfoot is congenital and acquired. Congenital clubfoot is more common and is found in infancy. In the first weeks of a child’s life, his bone tissue is very soft and elastic, so by starting treatment in the early stages, you can completely correct the shape of the foot. Congenital clubfoot appears in the womb for some reason.

1. Mechanical compression or incorrect position of the baby in the uterus. If the uterus is narrow enough, and the baby rests against the uterine wall with a leg, then his foot gradually deforms, blood circulation in this limb worsens and bone tissue changes shape.
2. Improper development of neuromuscular tissue. If for some reason the child’s nervous system has been impaired, deformation of the bones and joints may also occur. Such a consequence can give a toxic effect on the child from a drug drunk by a pregnant woman.
3. Genes can also cause clubfoot. Heredity plays a significant role in this.

There is also acquired clubfoot, which is more common in adults.

• Change in foot shape due to injury. Such clubfoot is most often treated with surgery.
• Diseases of the bones that are associated with the destruction of bone tissue.
• Severe burns to the legs and feet.
• Diseases of the nervous system associated with a loss of ability to move, such as paralysis.

Types of clubfoot

Clubfoot can be one-sided and two-sided, depending on whether one leg or both is affected. Also, clubfoot is divided into two large classifications:

1. Typical clubfoot It is characterized by four main forms - equinus, varus, adduction, supination. Each of these cases is detected by a special algorithm for measuring the tilt and rotation angles of the lower leg and foot.
2. Atypical clubfoot - This is a more complicated case when a skin fold is formed between the heel and the rest of the foot. The foot itself with atypical clubfoot is short and puffy.

How to get rid of clubfoot in a child

Pronounced clubfoot can be seen almost immediately after the birth of the baby.Hidden or slight clubfoot is noticed only after the child begins to walk. In any case, treatment should be started as early as possible. Only a full range of therapeutic measures can give an effective result.

1. With severe clubfoot, a small child is placed in gypsum boots that maximally bring the shape of the foot to a healthy one. To do this, before gypsum legs are thoroughly kneading. Then the legs from the foot to the maple are gypsum and give them the correct shape. The child should be in such a cast for a week, after which the procedure is repeated. The second time, the period of wearing gypsum is doubled. And so on until the legs are completely healthy.
2. When the child begins to walk, he must wear orthopedic shoes. It is quite tough and uncomfortable, but such shoes bring the foot in the correct position. Orthopedic shoes consist of a hard back and solid soles. It definitely has an arch support. Orthopedic shoes should be worn constantly, in difficult cases, even at home and during sleep. Of course, such shoes bring discomfort, because the tendons are stretched, but prolonged wearing gives a good result. Orthopedic shoes are selected only by a doctor.
3. To treat clubfoot, children are prescribed massage. It consists of kneading and stretching tendons in the right places. Such massage should be carried out only by experienced massage therapists. All massage movements are reduced to stretching the tendons of the inner side of the foot and strengthening the muscles of the lower leg. All positions are fixed for 10-15 seconds.
4. For older children, there is a set of exercises that they should do regularly several times a day. The very first exercise is walking on toes with outstretched heels. The second exercise is walking on the inside of the foot for 10 minutes. Another effective exercise is rolling the foot of a rolling pin.
5. To warm up the muscles and get the best results, physiological procedures are prescribed for children before the massage. They include electrophoresis, paraffin baths and magnetotherapy.
6. In complex cases, the treatment complex is supplemented with medicines. Usually these are drugs that improve neurological patency.
7. If with a clubfoot in a child, socks look inward, you can use the following advice. Wear shoes the other way around, that is, the left shoe on the right foot and the right, respectively, on the left foot. Thus, you can “accustom” the child’s legs to look directly.

How to get rid of clubfoot in an adult

Adult treatment is not much different from treating a child. However, in the case of an adult patient, we will need three times more time and patience, because the bones of an adult are already formed and are difficult to change. You can diagnose your clubfoot simply by looking at the shoes. If it is erased only along the outer edge, it’s time to see a doctor.

1. Wearing orthopedic shoes is required. Women should forget about high heels and flat soles. Correct orthopedic shoes have a heel of about 2 centimeters. You need to immediately buy shoes for all seasons because temporary wearing will not give any result.
2. For physiotherapy exercises, a gymnastic stick is most suitable. On it you need to walk up and down. Rope walking is very useful against clubfoot. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles of the entire ankle joint.
3. If the cause of clubfoot is an abnormal bone fusion after an injury, they usually resort to surgery.

Preventive measures

Prevention measures are needed not only for healthy people, but also for those who have got rid of clubfoot, but no longer want to return to this problem. Here are the basic rules.

1. If you do not want to treat your child for various deformations of the feet, do not save on shoes. You cannot wear shoes of a larger or smaller size, do not buy shoes "for growth."When choosing children's shoes, pay attention to whether there is a rigid closed back (even in summer models), an arch support and a clear fixation of the toe in the presented instance. This applies not only to orthopedic, but also to ordinary shoes for a healthy child.
2. Often walk barefoot on uneven surfaces - grass, stones, asphalt. It is very helpful and nice.
3. In order not to acquire clubfoot, you need to regularly exercise. The best sports against clubfoot are swimming and cycling.

Clubfoot is a problem that can be eliminated. We presented you a full range of measures that will allow you to eliminate clubfoot of any degree. For this you need a long time and exposure. But after your feet become healthy and your gait is even, no one will guess that you were once treated for such an ailment.