club feet and flat feet
FLAT FEET
Most children whose only problem is flat feet really have no problem at all—except that
poorly informed doctors or greedy special-shoe salesmen make their parents think so!
Most babies have naturally fat
feet, which can look flat.
normal foot of
a child under
2 years old
fat
Do not confuse a FAT
foot with a FLAT foot!
In older children and adults there is a lot of
natural variation in people’s arches.
high arch
foot
print
low arch
(flat foot)
Even a foot as flat as
this, if it causes the
child no pain, need
not be considered a
problem. Often flat
feet run in families. If
parents or relatives have
similar feet but no pain,
or if the child can move
his feet strongly in all
directions, do not worry
about it.
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Do not worry about flat feet if there is no pain, obvious weakness, or loss of movement.
Children who are late beginning to walk often have weak arches with flat feet, until
their feet get stronger.
Even children with very flat feet seldom develop a problem or have more than average
pain or discomfort when they do a lot of standing or walking. Usually flat feet are a problem
only when paralysis or brain damage is the cause—as in some children with polio, cerebral
palsy, or spina bifida. Also, children with Down syndrome sometimes have flat feet that may
lead to pain or discomfort.
CP
Correcting flat feet
The best treatment to help the child with
flat feet and no other problem may be to
go barefoot. Walking barefoot on sand or
rough ground helps the feet get stronger
and form a natural arch. Walking on tiptoe,
skipping rope, and picking things up with
the toes may also help.
BEWARE
of going
barefoot
where
hookworm
is common
CAUTION: Special exercises, training in ‘foot posture’,
shoe adaptations, heel wedges and shoe inserts (heel
cups and insoles) are often prescribed to correct flat feet.
However, studies show that usually none of these help.
Use of insoles to support the arches may even cause
weaker arches. Usually insoles should be tried only when
pain is a problem, or in some severe flat feet caused by
polio, cerebral palsy, or Down syndrome.
CP
WARNING: THIS METHOD USUALLY DOES NOT WORK
Some specialists
try to straighten
a foot that is
tilted like this
by putting a
wedge under
the heel of the
shoe like this.
But instead of
straightening the foot,
this often causes
further deformity,
because the heel
slides to the side,
and the shoe
stretches here
and wears out here.
disabled village children