One of the most common reasons for referring to orthopedists is the incorrect setting of the feet. Many babies find hallux valgus. This is a condition in which the heels deviate outward and the foot leans inward. Orthopedic shoes for children will help to correct the situation. With hallux valgus, this is a real salvation.
Diagnose a problem
The most common diagnosis voiced by an orthopedist in his office is a flat-valgus stop. Parents themselves may suspect problems if they know how such babies differ. In children with flat-valgus deformity, you can notice that the heels and fingers deviate outward, and the middle part of the foot sags. In a standing position, you can notice that the child’s legs form the letter “X”. Usually parents pay attention to shoes that wear out quickly. The sole is erased and deformed from the inside.
Often these children:
- complain of pain in the legs, indicating the area of the feet and knees;
- are characterized by increased fatigue.
Some may have swelling in the evening around the ankles and feet. The situation can be corrected only if parents turn to the orthopedist and follow all his recommendations. Doctors often prescribe massages, physiotherapeutic procedures. And orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus should help to correct the statement and consolidate the result. But it also needs to be able to choose the right one.
Causes of foot deformity
Many parents think about whether orthopedic shoes are needed for children with hallux valgus. Photos of the legs of adults who have such a curvature will help determine. If the parents do not want the child to suffer from constant pain in the legs when he grows up, then it is better to timely correct this problem. It must be understood that the development of valgus installation of the feet can lead to:
- congenital diseases, including poor heredity, certain genetic disorders, dysplasia;
- acquired problems: rickets, leg injury, early walking, improperly selected first shoes.
With congenital problems, treatment begins in advance, even before the child begins to walk. And the acquired deformations in most cases arise due to the careless attitude of parents to the selection of shoes. They buy baby sandals with soft backs, with the wrong flat insole. And this leads to the fact that fragile ligaments cannot support the weight of the child while walking and the ankles fall over under the weight of the child. The early use of walkers leads to the same consequences.
Selection rules
Parents who are faced with the problem of improperly installing the feet of their child should know what to look for when choosing sandals or shoes. Orthopedic shoes with hallux valgus installation for children should meet a number of criteria. Among them:
- the presence of a high and solid backdrop;
- dense side walls that can hold the leg in position;
- rigid fixation of the foot;
- the presence of a special orthopedic insole.
Shoes are made with a small heel - about 0.5 cm. On sale you can find models with Velcro or lace. It must be understood that orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus cannot simply be on a snake. Parents should be able to regulate its volume. After all, there are children whose legs are quite dense, almost any model will suit them. And for thin babies, their legs in ordinary sandals will dangle like a pencil in a box. They definitely need to tighten the Velcro or the laces so that the shoes or sandals fit tightly around the ankle and foot area.
What can change with regular use of the right shoes
Everyone knows that the necessary orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus are quite expensive. Reviews confirm that many parents refuse to buy it because of the high cost. But, despite this, it is advisable to try to allocate funds from the family budget for the purchase of quality shoes. If you do not follow the recommendations of the orthopedist and ignore his advice on choosing shoes, then you may encounter such problems:
- flat feet;
- shortening of one of the limbs;
- rachiocampsis;
- increased injuries.
Of course, some children "outgrow" this problem. Over time, the child’s ligaments become stronger and the leg becomes level. But this is not happening at all.
Types of orthopedic shoes
If the baby’s problems were found at an early age, then serial orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus can help correct the situation. Ladomed, for example, produces models for both very young children and adults. On sale you can find sandals, boots, and winter boots. There are models with a high or regular back. But you need to choose the right option only together with the orthopedist.
In addition, serial shoes can only be bought if the deformation of the foot is negligible. It can also be used in situations where the child has a hereditary predisposition to improper installation of the feet or weakness of the ligamentous apparatus. Orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus "Ortek" can help prevent this. Parents confirm that only high-quality models can be found in this manufacturer that can correct the onset of deformation or prevent its development.
Requirements for orthopedic shoes
Proven manufacturers make only quality products. But its cost is high for many. Therefore, parents who are looking for cheaper models should know what requirements should meet orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus
.In addition to well-known recommendations, according to which this shoe should be stiff and securely fix the foot, you need to pay attention to such points. Quality orthopedic models:
- made of leather;
- equipped with a dense sole made of non-slip materials;
- are equipped with a Thomas heel, which should compensate for the middle part of the foot falling off to the inside.
You need to understand that orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus may differ in appearance. Winter shoes are usually fitted with a thicker sole. Shoes look more voluminous due to the presence of insulation inside. But all orthopedic shoes differ from ordinary ones in appearance. After all, she has a special design, rigid sidewalls and a tight backdrop.
Insole selection
When choosing sandals or shoes, attention should also be given to that element that will support the correct arch of the child's foot. There are several types of orthopedic insoles. Each of them is used for certain problems.
The insole should not be glued or otherwise fixed. Parents must always have access to it. After all, it must be periodically cleaned or replaced.
In orthopedic insoles, they always make a hard sub-water (the better known name is an arch support pad). This allows you to form the correct bend of the foot and prevent the development of flat feet. To maintain the arch, doctors recommend using the insole VP-1. But with flat-valgus deformity, the VP-2 model is needed. Such an arch support is equipped with a nest for placing the heel, longitudinal arches are laid out in it, and an arch support is located in the heel section.
Special recommendations
Having bought orthopedic shoes, not all parents know what needs to be done next. Some put it on only for an hour's walk on the street, others allow the child to take it off only at night. The recommendations of orthopedic surgeons are that children should wear orthopedic shoes 4-6 hours a day. But sometimes it is necessary that the child is in correctional models for a longer time.
With proper use of shoes, the child's load on the ligaments and muscles of the legs is reduced. Automatically, the baby improves posture. Due to the fact that the shoes hold the foot firmly in the correct position, the child's legs begin to hurt less and endurance appears.
But to force the baby to wear orthopedic models all day long without a break is not worth it. The ligamentous and muscular apparatus should work, and this will only happen if the child’s leg is not fixed. They can be developed with the help of massage, physiotherapeutic procedures. Useful is considered walking on special rugs with pebbles or hard pile. An ordinary Swedish wall can be indispensable for children with flat-valgus deformity.
Parent reviews
Before purchasing orthopedic models, many want to find out whether they really have any sense. Some argue that without them it will not be possible to correct the setting of the feet, while others say that over time the leg will align itself.
But if all children had ligaments strengthened over time, then adults with improperly placed feet would simply not exist. But, unfortunately, not all parents pay attention to this problem on time.
According to the majority of parents who used special models, orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus allows long-term use to adjust the setting of the feet. But to fix the situation with one shoe is difficult. It is also necessary not to forget about massage and adequate loads on the legs that occur when walking on special rugs with pebbles.