Our feet - this is the body that does a tremendous job every day, experiences a huge load and does not attract too much attention of the owner. But if the feet begin to hurt and deform, then the whole body suffers, because in this case, simple walking causes discomfort. In addition, deformations of the feet lead to impaired posture and back problems due to improper distribution of the load on the spine. In modern conditions, there are a huge number of different deformations of the feet. To learn more about a disease such as equinovarus deformity, or horse foot, our article will help.
What is the deformation
The named disease is characterized by a pathological condition of muscle or bone tissue, in which the person’s foot is excessively bent forward, giving the impression that the person wants to stand on his toe.
Depending on the severity of the disease, the horse's foot can be more or less pronounced. In mild cases, deformation can manifest itself in excessive mobility of this part of the leg: a person can easily stretch his toe and in a relaxed state, the leg remains in this position.
A severe degree of the disease leads to a constant elongated position of the foot, it becomes impossible to put it perpendicular to the foot, which means that it is impossible to walk normally. Due to the similarity of the single-point support during a similar deformation with a horse's hoof, the disease received the popular name “horse foot”. The photo shows what the leg looks like with this disease.
What leads to the development of the disease
Such deformation can affect one or two legs at the same time. The disease can be acquired, received due to trauma or a concomitant illness, or congenital, especially if there are relatives in the family with a diagnosis of horse foot. The causes of this disease are conditionally divided into two main groups:
- muscle problem
- bone problem.
In the first case, the overstrained calf muscle, as well as the Achilles tendon, become the source of deformity. This group of muscles, as it were, “stretches” the leg along the back surface of the lower leg and lowers the sock down.
A horse's foot in a person can also develop as a result of surgery or trauma if the leg muscle group has been damaged and cannot properly perform its function.
When there are bone problems, the situation can be complicated by the presence of a tumor or inflamed joints on the foot. In this case, a neoplasm or an enlarged joint deforms it, redistributes the load on the fingers, as a result of which the horse foot syndrome is formed.
What can provoke the development of deformation
There are a number of factors that can lead to the development of the described disease. Among them, experts single out the main ones:
- Genetic predisposition. The presence of the named problem in the family at times increases the risk of developing pathology.
- Neurological diseases. Deviations from the nervous system lead to constriction of certain muscle groups. Most often, the horse’s foot is explained by this reason.
- Injuries, surgical operations in the field of feet and legs. In this case, the probability of damage to the calf muscles is high , which may result in the formation of scar tissue on them and excessive muscle tension.
- Frequent wearing high-heeled shoes. Such shoes are certainly beautiful, but the position of the foot with high heels leads to tension and contraction of the calf muscle. If the leg is in this condition for a long time, muscle atrophy occurs, as a result of which the horse foot can develop with high probability.
Diagnosis of foot deformity
A narrow specialist called a podiatrist is engaged in the treatment of the described problem. If there is no way to get to such a doctor, you can contact an orthopedist.
In order to confirm the diagnosis of horse foot, a specialist conducts a visual examination and prescribes the necessary studies.
At a visual examination, the doctor assesses the degree of deformation: he may ask the patient to move his foot, make circular movements in a standing and sitting position, when the leg is bent at the knee. Thus, you can see at what level the patient can raise his foot relative to the heel.
Also, a specialist can evaluate the strength of the ankle muscles: for this, he presses on the patient's toes and asks for resistance. Such simple manipulations make it possible to determine the diagnosis and the degree of progress of the disease.
To confirm the diagnosis established by visual examination, the patient may be offered such additional examinations as X-ray and MRI, on the basis of which the final diagnosis of horse foot is made. The specialist selects treatment depending on the cause and severity of the course of the disease.
The main directions of treatment
Deformity of the feet is difficult to treat. It is very important to timely seek advice from a specialist. The earlier the stage of the disease appears during treatment, the more effective the treatment will be. It includes several main areas:
- Drug therapy. It is aimed at getting rid of the inflammatory process in the joints and muscles, as well as at removing the excessive excitability of nerve endings, leading to muscle tightness.
- Physiotherapy. It includes the implementation of a set of therapeutic and preventive exercises, as well as massage of the feet or (if necessary) the entire surface of the legs.
- Use of orthopedic correctors. This direction of treatment consists in the daily use of corrective pads, arch supports, insoles, as well as specialized shoes.
- Surgery. This is an extreme treatment option, which is used in the absence of the effect of other methods.
Alternative treatments
Horse foot is very difficult to correct. At the same time, the disease often affects children in whom the musculoskeletal system is only forming, which is why it experiences an additional load.
An alternative method of treating such a deformity, called the Ponseti method , has proven itself well . It shows high effectiveness, especially when used in children and adolescents.
This technique involves the use of plaster casts, which are applied in a certain way. After a certain time, the bandage changes, and with it the position of the foot, which it fixes, changes. By alternating gypsum dressings according to the scheme developed by a specialist individually for each patient, excellent results can be achieved in a relatively short period of time.
Traditional medicine methods
An extensive amount of traditional medicine can offer a medicine for every diagnosis and case of life. Horse foot is no exception.
Traditional healers propose to treat this problem at home with decoctions of herbs, mud baths and compresses, as well as hydrogen sulfide baths. But in the case of deformity of the foot, traditional medicine can only do much harm. It cannot be cured with its help - the problem lies in the muscles and bones, with which you need to work daily and carefully, and not apply compresses to them.
The harm from the use of such funds consists, first of all, in the loss of time: instead of trying to return the foot to a normal position with the baths and herbs, you need to urgently run to a specialist for massage and physiotherapy.
If there are signs of horse foot or other deformations - self-medication and traditional medicine should not be trusted, you need to consult a specialist.
Is there any prevention?
In order for the feet to be healthy, look and feel good, certain rules must be observed:
- Wear comfortable low-heeled shoes.
- Use orthopedic insoles or arch supports.
- Daily to do simple exercises aimed at strengthening the arch of the foot and ankle muscles. These include walking on toes and heels, the inner and outer sides of the foot, stretching the toe away from you and yourself, circular rotation of the foot.
Such measures will allow not only to maintain the health of the described part of the leg at a high level, but also to notice the first signs of malfunctions in time. If the first difficulties arise in performing general strengthening exercises - this is an occasion to visit an orthopedist or a podiatrist.
The health of the legs and feet should not be underestimated, because every day they carry a large load at the slightest of our movement. Maintaining their health every day with comfortable shoes and simple exercises, various deformations of not only the feet and joints of the legs, but also of the spine can be avoided. This will allow you to have healthy, beautiful legs and excellent posture.