X-shaped legs in a child are quite rare, and parents, having discovered this pathology, are in no hurry to lead their child to specialists. How serious is this problem and what could be the consequences? To find out, it is necessary to determine the cause of the appearance of x-shaped deformation of the legs in the child. A pediatrician and orthopedist will help you to analyze the baby’s health status. Rarely, specialists decide to leave the child alone and let the legs level out on their own, usually a diet, massage and exercises are prescribed. Next, we will consider why the x-shaped curvature of the legs in a child appears, prevention methods and auxiliary exercises.
Hallux valgus
Hallux valgus deformation of the knees - experts call the change in the structure of the knee joint. Why are there x-shaped legs in a child at 2 years old or even 3? What is the reason and why after a while the legs did not align? It turns out that not all parents seek to treat their baby's valgus. Any mother can independently diagnose hallux valgus, but only a few apply for treatment.
How to determine the x-shaped legs in a child yourself? Very simple, it is enough for the parent to put his baby straight and put his heels together. If there are no pathologies, then the legs will calmly connect and you can see three points of contact: in the ankles, middle of the lower leg and knees. If the child has x-shaped legs, then he will not be able to connect the heels or ankles. Between them there will be a distance of about 5 centimeters, and the knees can be tightly pressed against each other.
Why does the child have x-shaped legs?
The main causes of this ailment:
- flat feet;
- rickets;
- trauma;
- congenital deformity of the hip joint;
- infection;
- early attempts to put the baby on its feet;
- inflammation.
A disease such as rickets leads to various types of bone deformation, including x-shaped legs in a child. Komarovsky argues that with breastfeeding and nutrition an adapted mixture of rickets cannot be, but the fact remains. Rickets appears with a lack of vitamin D, and since it is very difficult to get the necessary dose of vitamin while in the sun (the sun's rays are the source of vitamin D), you should not throw this disease back into the past. Taking vitamins in dosage form is possible and necessary in order to protect your children from rickets.
Obtaining and assimilation of vitamin D is possible thanks to the sun's rays and proper nutrition, but the sun has long had a negative effect on the human body. Therefore, children born in autumn and winter are not able to receive sun baths, although the sense of this process is not guaranteed. Parents should take this factor into account and monitor the condition of the child, because a lack of vitamin D leads to softening of children's bones and deformation of the knee joints.
Parent Mistakes
Incorrect parental behavior can form x-shaped legs in a child. What are they wrong about? Mom and dad should not only blindly listen to doctors, but also independently study medical literature to determine what the child needs and what he can do without. Encourage the early rising and walking of the child is prohibited and even more so put it on its own feet. Strong bones are subjected to strong pressure. The conclusion follows: the use of walkers, jumpers and overweight contribute to the development of x-shaped legs in children. How to fix this disease? Of course, it is better not to allow such a condition.
There is an opinion that the curvature of the legs is a hereditary disease and can not be cured. Of course, with hereditary curvature of the legs, it will be rather difficult to correct this condition, in most cases it will be necessary to resort to surgical intervention. But there are very few cases of hereditary curvature, so it is important for parents to study other factors in the appearance of x-shaped legs in children. A photo of this pathology will help mothers finally make sure of the presence of the disease.
Effects
Most parents are not puzzled by the consequences and complications that may occur with hallux valgus knees in their children. They explain their negligence by the fact that the boy has smooth and beautiful legs, and the girl’s legs are crooked from birth. However, there can be no talk of any aesthetics if we are talking about the health of the child.
If your child, who is 2 years old, has x-shaped legs, then the child urgently needs to be shown to the doctor to prescribe the appropriate treatment. The older the owner of the valgus knees, the less likely that the legs will nevertheless align. This deformation provides an incorrect distribution of the body load on the joints of the legs, which leads to deformation of the feet - this is when the foot falls inward and the gait becomes clubfoot. Further, curvature of the spinal column, impaired posture, etc., are predicted.
If a child has 3 years old x-shaped legs, then the appearance of health problems is almost guaranteed. Moreover, even at school, the child may experience pain in the legs. Therefore, it is important to start treatment of x-shaped legs in a timely manner. In children, it is easier to detect pathology and you can start timely correction in time. If hallux valgus deformation of the knees is present in an adult, then only surgery will help.
Is it possible to straighten valgus legs?
You can achieve a positive result, but you will have to try. The main role in correcting the situation is played by timely appeal to specialists. The best time for therapeutic adjustment is 3 years, at this time the child’s bones have not yet formed and are malleable in structure. The child’s bordering age is 7 years, so it is believed that the main thing is to have time to level the legs to school.
Treatment of x-shaped legs in children occurs in a comprehensive manner. It is important to consider and follow all the doctor's recommendations. First of all, you need to identify the cause of the curvature of the legs and undergo a full examination. With the results of the tests, you should consult a doctor who will already direct you to additional studies and prescribe treatment.
Methods for the treatment of valgus knees
Apart from medications, plaster dressings are allowed on the legs in the knees, but only if the child is not older than 3 years. This is done in order to reduce the burden on growing bones. If the doctor recommends the use of plaster dressings, then parents should not despair about the duration of the treatment process, but they can cheer their child in every possible way.
Also, to eliminate the valgus knees, special orthopedic shoes are used, which holds the ankle joint and foot as evenly and correctly as possible. Without fail, a direction is given to physiotherapy and massage, with which you can cure many pathologies. The doctor prescribes a diet and gives recommendations on physical exercises. A specialist may advise you to perform some exercises at home, because to fight the disease you have to change your lifestyle for all family members.
Massage with x-shaped legs in children
If you consider massage as a therapeutic rather than a preventive procedure, it is important to choose a real specialist. It is recommended to undergo at least 1 massage course in 3 months, or even more. Parents and relatives of a sick child can get acquainted with additional techniques that will increase the effectiveness of massage.
With x-shaped legs in children, an imbalance in muscle tension is often observed. Muscle tissue tension with proper walking occurs evenly. Hallux valgus causes only some muscles to strain. For example, with valgus of the knees, the thigh muscles are poorly used when walking. A large load goes to the outside of the lower leg to maintain balance. Therapeutic massage will help to cope with such an imbalance and will help activate the thigh muscles and the inner side of the lower leg.
How does a massage session take place?
After the parents find out that their child needs a therapeutic massage, they will have to make an appointment with a special orthopedic surgeon. A conscientious doctor will do everything possible to avoid the progression of this diagnosis. After a full examination, the child is prescribed treatment with an individual approach. It takes a lot of time, perhaps about a year. Parents should not get hung up and upset, the main thing is to pay attention to progress, not to give up, so that their child soon gets up on level legs.
Often use massage as the main treatment method. Stroking and massaging movements focus not only on the legs, but also on other parts of the body. A regular session lasting up to half an hour is prescribed for several months, then the doctor looks at the success of the child and determines the further development of massage therapy. Parents take responsibility in choosing a massage specialist, this issue should be taken as seriously as possible. To determine the skill level of a massage therapist, parents can follow his actions and compare them with these recommendations:
- At the beginning of the session, the child is advised to lay on his stomach, position his hands along the body and begin to work with his back. Massage begins with warming up all body tissues, for this it is enough to stroke the skin of the child, rub and knead, as with massage for the baby. Then the muscles are massaged in a circle. Warming up should also be stroking.
- Next, massage the lower back, namely the sacral section. Since the child’s body is still very malleable to external influences, movements should be as smooth and accurate as possible.
Properly selected shoes can help the treatment, which the orthopedic doctor will advise parents to buy. Today, there are many wonderful orthopedic shoes that help prevent flat feet, and therefore prevent the development of x-shaped legs in children. A distinctive feature of such shoes is a comfortable insole and a high backdrop.
Also, a special diet is considered an important option for the treatment of hallux valgus, proper nutrition for the child is very important, because a small and growing body requires many useful substances. To strengthen bones, it is necessary to use a sufficient amount of calcium, so dairy products must be on the baby's menu. Fish is rich in healthy fats and vitamin D, you also need to eat eggs, beans and cereals, fatty foods should be excluded. Fresh air and sunbathing will benefit the child.
Gymnastics in the treatment of valgus knees
Some physical exercises can give a positive result, but only with the right choice of exercise therapy (therapeutic physical culture). For a child, there are a number of fascinating exercises:
- A lotus position or Turkish sultan (you need to squat and knees apart, while the feet need to be kept together).
- Goose legs (flexion of the ankle joint, alternately or simultaneously).
- "Bicycle" (you need to lie on your back and make circular movements with your feet).
- “Teddy bear” (the child walks with torso from side to side, in this case, the load is evenly distributed on the outer surface of the foot.
- "Monkey" (you need to capture small objects with your toes).
- "Heron" (walking on toes).
- "Horse" (moving on special toys or imitating a horse jumping sitting on a parent's knee).
- "Acrobat" (imitation of acrobat walking on a rope, in which the feet are placed as close to each other as possible).
Prevention
Up to two years of age, a mild valgus deformity of the knees may be observed in the child. If the baby does not have this pathology, this does not mean that you can not pay attention to his physical development. Preventive measures will benefit any child's body.
In addition to proper and balanced nutrition, it is important for parents to monitor the weight of the child so that it meets the norm. Excess weight can cause the legs to diverge and cause various problems with the musculoskeletal system. You should not put the baby on its feet early and encourage any desire to stand up, because the ligaments are not yet strong and can be subjected to dangerous pressure. After the child begins to walk, parents should take care of quality shoes. The back should be stiff enough and high, fixing the heel in the correct position, and the insole should have a small elevation in order to prevent flat feet.
Activity for a child is very useful, an immovable stance with legs spread wide apart is not only harmful for prevention purposes, but also provokes a progression of hallux valgus. Any physical exercise has a beneficial effect on the development of all muscle groups, such as running, cycling, swimming and climbing the Swedish stairs. These sports help to normalize the work of all internal organs.
Dangerous can be jumping on a soft surface (on a trampoline), riding on skates and skates. It is useful to walk on pebbles, grass, massage rugs and other similar surfaces. At home, you can make a massage rug yourself - a mother can sew buttons on a thin fabric and spread it on the spot where the baby walks most often. Do not forget about walks in the fresh air, avoiding crowds. Draft and overheating can adversely affect a child’s immunity. Walking and physical activity will help not only for preventive purposes, but also deliver a lot of positive emotions to the baby.