Flatfoot syndrome:Also known as flatfoot, it is mainly due to poor development of the structures that form the arch of the foot and various injuries and strains. Tian Hongtao, Department of Orthopedics, Wuhan Union Hospital
High-risk groups: mostly seen in adolescents, more women than men; genetic factors, congenital foot bone deformities; foot trauma or chronic strain; obesity, old age; as well as poor walking posture (outward facing, X-legged, etc.), long-term wearing of hard-soled shoes; and people suffering from rheumatoid joints, diabetes and other diseases.
Clinical manifestations and hazards: most flat feet are asymptomatic, only prone to falls or sprains when running; those with obvious clinical manifestations are mainly of the following two types.
1. Postural flatfoot syndrome: for the initial stage, there is no abnormality in the appearance of the arch of the foot, but foot fatigue and pain are felt after walking and exertion, pain is felt at times in the lateral ankle of the lower leg, there may be swelling in the center of the sole and the back of the foot, and when standing, the foot is flattened and the foot is turned out; after rest, it can return to normal.
2. Spastic flatfoot syndrome: It occurs in young and middle-aged people, partly developed by improper treatment of postural flatfoot. The pain is mainly severe when standing or walking, and can be in a figure-eight foot gait. The inward and outward rotation and abduction of the foot are limited. Even after prolonged rest, the symptoms do not improve. Some patients may suffer from low back pain and hip and knee pain.
Treatment: Prevention is important in this disease, most patients do not need drug treatment, mainly functional exercise of foot muscles, foot orthopedics, etc.; if non-surgical treatment can not relieve the pain, and affect the weight-bearing walking and wearing shoes of patients with medium and heavy flat feet and age > 10 years old, surgery should be carried out.
Daily prevention.
Patients with flat feet should not wear shoes with heels, including medium and sloping heels, and orthopedic negative heel shoes, i.e. shoes with a high front and low back, are recommended.
Those with congenital flat feet or genetic predisposition should exercise their calf and foot muscles from early childhood to enhance their muscle strength, while reducing excessive weight bearing or preventing fatigue; they can walk barefoot on the beach or lawn.
It is best to soak the feet in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes every day before going to bed, and massage immediately after soaking to promote blood circulation and speed up the recovery of fatigue in the arch of the foot.
In addition, there is weight reduction, reduce the weight of the foot; when the pain acute attack, temporarily stop activities, appropriate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve symptoms; under the guidance of doctors, you can also wear flat foot orthopedic shoes or insoles.
Functional foot exercises.
Bend the toes toward the bottom of the foot, still landing on the ground in front and behind, and hold for several seconds.
Place a small towel under the foot, pick it up with the toes, switch to the front of the other foot, and so on.
Crumpling the towel through toe movements.
placing a cylindrical object (such as a small bottle of wine or a ping-pong ball) under the foot and rolling it back and forth with the foot.
Toes off the ground with toes flexed.
Placing one foot on top of the other in a mutual resistance movement.
seated exercise: lift the hips and slide the toes from front to back; hold the ankles with both hands and try to make the feet abduct; then inward, so balletic movements.
Two orthopedic shoes. The role of flat foot orthopedic shoes is to correct the position of the gravity line, is to make the gravity line deviated from the arch, reduce the pressure on the arch. The requirement is that the inner thickness side of the sole is slightly higher than the outer side, so that the outer side of the foot is stressed more, reducing the pressure on the inner longitudinal arch.
Three arch pads. Put in ordinary shoes, but it is very controversial and needs to be used individually.
IV Surgical treatment: Methods include soft tissue surgery such as tendon displacement and ligament tightening, as well as bony surgery such as intertarsal joint fusion, triple joint fixation and tarsal osteotomy.
(Image from the internet)
Author: Hongtao Tian, Wuhan Union Orthopaedic Hospital
Title: Associate Professor, Associate Chief Physician
Specialties: artificial joint replacement Joint diseases: femoral head necrosis, knee osteoarthritis, rheumatoid rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, joint infections, bone and joint deformities.
Clinic hours: all day every week on 1, 3 and 6.
Contact: Tel: 13908622515
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