The longitudinal arch of the foot is lowered and turned out, and the arch collapses when standing, and the inner edge of the foot is close to the ground, which is called flat foot, also called flat foot and turned out foot.
The foot has two different directions of the transverse and longitudinal arches, the main function is to cushion the shock when walking and running and jumping, so as to protect the joints, internal organs and other organs above the foot. Congenital developmental malformations and abnormalities in the development of the bones comprising the arch can cause flatfoot syndrome, the common ones are:
(1) congenital shortening of the 5th top bone.
(2) Congenital heel damage or bridge formation of the heel navicular bone.
③ congenital deformity of navicular bone development, which can weaken the support of the posterior tibial muscle and the stability of the heel navicular ligament, causing the talus head to sag and tilt inward, plantar valgus, and inward shift of the line of gravity to cause flatfoot.
Acquired or strain flatfoot is mostly seen in:
(1) Poor nutrition in developing children or adolescents, or standing for too long.
②Overweight or pregnant women.
③After chronic wasting disease or inappropriate footwear.
④Neurological diseases that cause loss of muscle tone in the arch of the foot.
⑤ Long-distance runners, especially marathon runners, have flat feet due to strain on the muscles and ligaments of the foot, weakened elasticity and relaxation of the transverse arch.
Congenital cases should be surgically corrected, and post-operative sequelae and painful symptoms of acquired types can be treated with acupuncture.
Specific methods of flatfoot correction exercises
Section 1:Manic joint inversion and pacing flexion exercise. Preparatory posture:Sitting position, both knees naturally straight. Action: ① Heel joint first break flexion, followed by inward turning, adhere to a moment. ② Relax and return to the preparatory position. Repeat 12-16 times.
Section 2: Toe flexion exercise. Preparatory posture: same as section I. Movements:
① toes forcefully flexed, together, while the back of the foot arch, adhere to a moment.
② Return to the preparatory position. Repeat 12-16 times. 3
Section 3: Toe grip exercise. Preparatory posture: sitting position, two knees flexed at right angles, put a spell next to the foot a number of marbles. Action:
①Grab the marbles with your toes and place them in the container next to you.
② Rest for a moment after grasping, and then repeat. Practice a total of 5-10 minutes.
Section 4:Foot rolling or wooden stick exercise. Prepared position: sitting, both knees flexed, a ball or a wooden stick under the foot. Action
① Toe flexion, and then use the foot to roll the ball or stick under the foot.
After 2-3 minutes of rolling, rest for a moment and relax the foot muscles. Repeat the exercise 3-5 times.
Section 5: foot arch standing exercises. Prepared posture: two feet into the inward eight standing position. Action:
① toes flexed, the back of the foot arch, the body slightly leaned forward, so that the body’s weight falls on the toes.
②After maintaining for a few seconds, relax and return to the preparatory position. Repeat 15-20 times.
Section 6: foot inversion standing exercises. Preparatory posture: stand with feet parallel to each other, 20 cm apart. Action:
① both feet turn inward and stand with the outer edge of the foot on the ground.
②After holding for a few seconds, return to the preparatory posture, rest and relax for a moment, and then proceed. Repeat 3-5 times.
Section 7: Arch foot inversion walking exercises. Prepared posture: natural standing. Action:
① both feet bowed up, stepping joints inward, the outer edge of the foot on the ground walking.
②After a little fatigue, relax and stand to rest, then continue. A total of 2-3 minutes.
Section 8: Standing exercises on a solid ball. Prepared posture: natural standing, a solid ball placed in front of the body. Action:
①Stand on the solid ball with both feet, toes flexed with force.
②Adhere to a few moments and then come down to rest. Repeat 3-5 times.
Section 9: Grass imitation shuttlecock exercise. Prepare posture: natural standing. Action:
①Kick the foot inside out, alternating between left and right.
②After a little fatigue, rest for a moment, and then repeat.
Caution
Patients with flat feet should perform flat foot correction exercises regularly for a long time in order to obtain good results. Instead of wearing flat-soled shoes, wear shoes with a heel or add a thin pad in the middle of the shoe, or you can directly wear corrective shoes for flat feet.
The requirements for corrective shoes are: the heel and the middle of the sole should be slightly narrower, so that the heel is more fixed and prevents the heel from swaying when walking. The inner part of the sole (the arch) should be 5 mm to 10 mm thicker than the outer part, so that the foot is slightly turned inward to prevent the talus bone from sinking and tilting inward, moving the weight line from the inner edge of the foot to the outside.