Parents should definitely pay attention to the child's clubfoot. It is more effective to correct this defect at a young age. This will help avoid problems in the future due to the ridicule of others.
Causes of clubfoot
Before correcting clubfoot in a child, it is necessary to identify the reasons why this happened, which muscles are very tense when walking, and which, on the contrary, are relaxed. An orthopedist will help to understand this situation. He will conduct an examination and prescribe an individual course of treatment.
When is the best time to start treatment
You can start treating clubfoot as early as 3 months after birth. A gentle method of defect correction using the Ponseti method has been developed. According to this technique, clubfoot is caused by shortening of the adductor muscles of the foot and the Achilles tendon. Therapy will be aimed at correcting this deficiency. It will help correct the position of the foot in a newborn without surgical interventions in the joints. The treatment takes about 3 months. A plaster cast is applied to the child from the groin to the very fingertips. During this time, the leg and foot take the desired shape, the Achilles tendon and the muscles of the foot are stretched. After this treatment, clubfoot is corrected in 99% of cases. To prevent relapse, the child is put on a brace that allows the foot to be fixed in the correct position. The Penceti method is effective for the treatment of newborns and children under 2 years of age. During this period, muscles and ligaments are most elastic.
Mild clubfoot
Mild clubfoot is corrected with warming massages. Massage is needed to relax the inner and back muscles of the lower leg. It is necessary to make stroking, shaking movements followed by stretching. Therapeutic exercises, aimed at increasing muscle activity, will help to correct the defect. Gymnastics is combined with the Fink-Oettingen soft bandage procedure. The bandage is applied to the entire limb in a specific order and sequence. It is necessary to follow all the doctor's recommendations and not to self-medicate, so as not to aggravate the situation. It is the orthopedist who determines the method of treatment, which can vary depending on the result achieved.
Disease prevention
Parents can do their part to prevent the disease. It is necessary to ensure that the baby walks in orthopedic shoes for half a day, and barefoot for the rest of the day. At the same time, it is useful to walk on sand, small pebbles, pebbles so that the muscles receive the necessary load and develop correctly. The child needs to be taught to ride a bike and swim, these skills will help him to correct the defect. The correct arch of the foot is not formed immediately, but only by the age of 5. Sometimes the problem resolves itself as the child grows up.
