What should I do if my child has flat feet?

Every child is brought into this world holding the hand of God and is the apple of the eye of his or her parents’ eyes. However, some children are born with some defects. Flat feet is one of the most common diseases. Flat feet, also known as pes planus, refers to any abnormality in the physiology of bones, ligaments and muscles, which leads to the collapse of the medial or lateral longitudinal and transverse arches of the foot. Children with flat feet will also be affected in their athletic ability and labor force when they grow up. So, how to treat children with flat feet?

Flat feet or unclear arches are a normal physiological developmental phenomenon. 100% of newborn babies have flat feet, 90% have flat feet before the age of two, and the proportion decreases year by year. About 10% to 20% of adults have flat feet.

The arch of the foot is composed of the calcaneus, talus, navicular bone, cuneiform bone and metatarsal bones. It is formed on the one hand by skeletal development, and on the other hand by the natural strengthening and tightening of joint ligaments to support the entire arch of the foot. Therefore, when the ligaments of a young child are loose, the arch of the foot will become flatter when bearing weight. As the child grows older, the ligaments become tighter and the arch of the foot takes shape. This is a normal physiological development and does not require treatment or methods to accelerate development.

1. Walk on your toes, walk on your heels, and walk sideways.

2. Stretch your legs forward, hook and stretch your toes, from slow to fast, and do this for 20 seconds each time.

3. Use your toes to hold an object (a small ball, sandbag, etc.), alternating between your left and right feet.

4. Hold a small ball with the soles of your feet together, then rub it left and right for 20 seconds.

5. Put your foot on a ball and rub it forward, backward, left and right, alternating between left and right feet for 20 seconds each.

6. Corrective exercises for children's flat feet: The adult holds the child's hands and lifts them upwards so that the child stands on the front of his feet. The adult's hands then slowly lower, allowing the child to stand on full feet. Repeat this 4 times as a set, and relax after 2-3 times.

The above is the experts’ summary of the treatment methods for children with flat feet. We hope that parents can help their children get rid of the defects of flat feet as soon as possible and grow up happily and healthily. Parents don’t need to worry too much. This is a normal physiological development phenomenon and only needs to be properly taken care of in the future.