Clubfoot is a common defect of the musculoskeletal system, which is expressed in the wrong position of the foot, while children are simply not able to put the leg on the floor correctly. The origin of this disease has not yet been fully studied, but scientists have proved that among girls there are 50% fewer cases of the disease than among boys.
The article will discuss such a phenomenon as clubfoot in children, symptoms and treatment methods. Parents whose child suffers from this pathology will learn what exercises should be done with him, how to help him at home, what kind of shoes their baby should wear, is it worth it to deal with this ailment at all.
Classification of clubfoot
Clubfoot in children can be bilateral or unilateral, acquired or congenital, atypical or typical.
The main characteristics of all types of clubfoot.
A typical form develops due to a defect in the development of muscles, ligaments and tendons. This anomaly does not extend beyond the foot. It is divided into 3 types:
- Varus deformity - characterized by a mild course of the disease and can be treated using a manual type of correction.
- Soft-tissue - soft tissue resistance develops with manual correction.
- Bone - a very rare deformation, consists in persistent deformation of the bones of the foot and changes in the soft tissues, the work of the joint is limited. This type of deformity is not amenable to traditional treatment.
An atypical type of clubfoot in children occurs as a result of disorders of the musculoskeletal system (arthrogryposis, dysostosis, osteochondrodysplasia, ecromelia, and others).
According to the degree of development of the disease, there are:
- A slight degree of clubfoot - responds well to treatment, movements in the ankle joint are preserved.
- Medium - movements in the joint are limited, difficult to treat.
- Severe - surgery is needed.
Congenital clubfoot can be detected already at the 16th week of pregnancy using ultrasound. But the diagnosis is finally made after the birth of the baby. There are several reasons for the development of such a pathology:
- Mechanical causes - arose due to the strong pressure on the uterus’s feet. Occurs when the fetus is in the wrong position or in low water.
- Genetic reasons - arise due to hereditary diseases, in addition, the likelihood of this defect in a child increases if there are cases of clubfoot in relatives.
- Neuromuscular causes - arise in the pathology of fetal development: deficiency of nerve fibers, improper development of ligaments and muscles (occurs on the 8-12th week of pregnancy), vitamin deficiency, pregnancy pathologies, bad habits of the mother during pregnancy.
Acquired clubfoot is a violation of the correct positioning of the feet in absolutely healthy children, begins to appear at the age of one to 3 years, the following symptoms gradually develop:
- Bear walk - the child rakes with one leg.
- Low mobility of the ankle joint.
- He puts his feet wrong, clearly visible on the tracks in the wet sand or snow.
- The knees are turned inward.
Reasons for acquired clubfoot:
- disorders of the nervous system;
- underdevelopment of bones;
- improper fusion of the bones of the leg and foot;
- rickets;
- leg injuries;
- improperly selected shoes;
- polio.
The clubfoot begins to appear due to the increasing load on the baby’s legs, when he is gaining weight, his bones grow, and his muscles and tendons do not keep up with them. Many muscle groups are in good shape, while others, on the contrary, are relaxed. This is manifested in the deformation of the feet.
Symptoms
As a rule, clubfoot does not cause pain, but with the growth and development of the child, discomfort intensifies and there is a restriction in walking ability. This disease in itself does not go away. A foot without medical care remains twisted and can grow shorter and smaller than a healthy one. As the child grows, the symptoms become more pronounced, he cannot fully play with his peers, there are big problems with the selection of shoes.
Complications
Parents should not let the disease drift, hoping that with age everything will pass. Clubfoot in children is accompanied by flat feet and scoliosis, in addition, the neglect of the disease can lead to such complications:
- subluxation of the bones of the feet;
- impaired functioning of the knee joints;
- amyotrophy;
- disability.
A child who was given timely assistance is no different from his peers after 5 years. They engage in any sport, their legs are as strong and mobile as the rest of the children.
But if clubfoot is not treated, then the disease will begin to progress. Little children, of course, will adapt to walk and run, but after the teenage age they develop serious problems that can lead to disability.
How to get rid of this ailment
How to cure clubfoot in a child, how to detect it? Clubfoot, if pronounced, can be detected immediately after the baby is born. Slight or latent deformation can be noticed only after the child begins to walk. Treatment should be started as early as possible. Only an integrated approach can give a positive result.
- With pronounced clubfoot in young children, their legs are gypsum in the form of boots that hold the foot in a normal natural position. Before starting the procedure, the legs are thoroughly kneaded, after which they are gypsum to the knee, fixing in the correct position. In these boots, the baby walks for about a week, after which they are removed, the legs are kneaded and plaster again for 2 weeks. This continues until the feet are in the correct position.
- When the baby begins to walk independently, he must wear orthopedic shoes. It is very stiff and uncomfortable, but it helps to fix the foot in the correct position.
- It helps with foot club in children foot massage. It consists of kneading tendons in the right places.
- To warm up the muscles before the massage, physiological procedures are prescribed: electrophoresis, paraffin heating.
- To treat clubfoot in a child of 6 years and older, you can use a set of exercises that should be done several times a day. The most effective is rolling the rolling pin with the feet, walking on toes.
- In some complex cases, medication is prescribed, as a rule, these are drugs that improve the neurological condition.
The basic principles of successful correction of clubfoot in children:
- constant monitoring by an orthopedist;
- early start of treatment;
- patience and perseverance of parents.
All methods of treating an ailment are aimed not only at correcting developmental abnormalities, but also at consolidating the results.
Congenital clubfoot treatment
How to cure clubfoot in a child, if it is congenital? This diagnosis is made in the hospital. Treatment can begin in a week, it is usually carried out in a hospital under the supervision of an orthopedic surgeon. The child's foot is fixed with a plaster cast. After treatment (lasts about several months), a special longuette is made for the child, which the parents put on at night to avoid relapse.
Many orthopedists prefer the method according to Vilensky. It is very effective for treating clubfoot in a child 1-5 years old and in infants. With this type of therapy, the result is achieved much faster than with gypsum treatment. This is an integrated approach that includes:
- casting;
- orthopedic devices for fixing the joints;
- massage;
- paraffin baths and physiotherapy;
- medical gymnastics;
- baths with coniferous extract or medicinal herbs.
There are other methods of treating clubfoot, in addition to casting, apply soft bandaging, applying a longet, as well as drug injections of Botox (it is injected under the skin into the calf muscle).
The method of treatment depends on the causes of development, the severity of the disease, the age and characteristics of the child's body.
Treatment of acquired clubfoot
How to treat clubfoot in a child, if acquired? First of all, the cause of the disease should be established. Next, fixation is performed, massage and a set of gymnastic exercises are prescribed. Usually the course of treatment takes from 2 to 5 months. The courses should be repeated until clubfoot is eliminated. Children are recommended to play sports:
- dancing,
- swimming,
- snowboard with
- kateboard
- cycling.
If all methods of conservative treatment do not help and the disease progresses, then the doctors perform a surgical operation.
Surgical treatment
Surgery for clubfoot in children is resorted to only when the foot does not take the correct position, despite all the measures taken. Correction of tendons and ligaments of the joint of the foot by surgical intervention.
As a rule, congenital clubfoot is corrected when the child is 7-8 months old, because treatment must be completed before he starts walking on his own.
Several techniques are used, for example, N. N. Makov’s technique, Pansetti's method, and others.
After the operation, the muscles of the foot become elastic and stiffer, the leg that was operated on often hurts, it is much weaker than a healthy foot.
Preventive measures
Such measures are needed both for healthy children and those who have gotten rid of clubfoot. Basic Rules:
- You can not save on baby shoes. You should not buy him larger shoes. When buying, you should pay attention to models that have a hard back, arch support and a clear fixation of the toe.
- Do not overwork the child with long walks, fatigue only exacerbates the problem.
- More often to force a child to walk on uneven surfaces - stones, grass, asphalt, pebbles.
- Regularly engage in sports, the best sports for clubfoot - swimming, cycling, rhythmic or sports gymnastics.
Clubfoot Correction Plan
To deal with clubfoot, you do not have to exercise in the gym; many exercises can be performed at home. So, how to fix clubfoot in a child at home? Action plan:
- It is necessary to develop a training scheme and gradually increase the load.
- Explain to the child what to do and how to perform the exercises.
- Do not forget to praise the baby and stimulate him.
- Perform all exercises together with the baby.
- Classes are best started with a jog, it will warm all muscles well.
- Make sure that during running and all exercises he correctly sets his foot.
Treatment of clubfoot in children at home consists of a series of exercises that will help overcome this pathology: walking on toes, squatting with the “goose step”, stretching exercises, lifting on the toes and lowering back on the heels - “rolls”, skiing on the bike.
Once the results have become apparent, you should take the child to any sports section to consolidate the result. In addition, you should always pay attention to the baby’s footprints, his gait and posture, he should have a healthy diet, which should include fish, cottage cheese, milk and sour-milk products.
Massage
Before you begin to do foot massage with clubfoot in children, you need to buy literature and familiarize yourself with the rules and techniques. For example, the books by Krasikova Irina “Baby Massage”, “Flat Feet”, which describe techniques and a number of exercises.
Massage should be aimed at kneading and stretching the tendons in certain places, as well as strengthening the calf muscles.
Orthopedic shoes
Orthopedic shoes with clubfoot in children are bought only in specialized stores. She must have:
- arch support
- hard backs
- pads.
Orthopedic shoes should fully ensure the correct position of the foot, and also be comfortable so that he wears it without any problems. It should be borne in mind that only prolonged wearing gives a good result.
Adult clubfoot
The treatment of an adult is practically no different from the treatment of a baby. But it will take more time, strength and patience, because his bones are already formed and are difficult to adjust. It is very easy to diagnose such a pathology, just look at your shoes, if it is washed along the outer edge, you should consult a doctor.
When treating clubfoot in an adult, the following rules must be observed:
- Wear orthopedic shoes. Women do not wear flat shoes or high heels. Correct shoes are a heel with a height of about 2 centimeters.
- Therapeutic exercises. You need to walk on a gymnastic stick up and down.
- Sports activities: swimming, running, bicycle.
Parent Tips
If the child has clubfoot, what should I do? All parents should know and remember that this disease is accompanied by such serious complications of the musculoskeletal system as scoliosis, flat feet. That is why you can’t let everything drift and hope that this defect will pass by itself.
It is necessary to consult an orthopedist, otherwise the disease will progress and, as a result, one leg can grow shorter than the other. And in the worst case, the child may become disabled.
It is necessary to get rid of clubfoot, and endurance and patience are necessary for this. But the reward will not be long in coming, after all efforts, the baby’s legs will become smooth and healthy, his walk will be easy and beautiful.
It is much more difficult to get rid of this defect in adolescents and adults. But do not despair. The abundance of medical methods will help to achieve success, you must follow all the recommendations of a doctor and be diligent.