If one day your child tells you that he has knee pain, hip pain, low back pain, back pain or even neck pain, in addition to checking whether the schoolbag that the schoolchild carries every day is too heavy, which threatens the health of the child’s spine and feet, You should also pay extra attention to related pain problems such as flat feet, scoliosis, shoulder and neck pain, and cold back.
Taking flat feet as an example, flat feet are the phenomenon in which the inner arch of the foot disappears and the arch bridge on the sole of the foot appears flat. The arch of the foot is used to support the weight of the body when standing and walking. It is formed by the cooperation of ligaments, muscles and bones. It acts as a shock absorber and balances the body. The heel is the main part of the human body that bears the weight. It is like the foundation of a house. If the foundation is unstable, the force line changes, and the load on the sole of the foot increases, in addition to causing heel pain, other pain problems will also occur.
Flat feet can be divided into physiological and pathological. Physiological flat foot arches disappear during weight-bearing states such as standing and walking. The arch of the foot reappears when sitting or lying down. Most children’s flat feet are physiological, mainly because there is a lot of subcutaneous fat and ligaments still loose in the arches of young children. As the child grows, the subcutaneous fat decreases, the ligaments gradually become stronger, and the arch of the foot becomes obvious, and the general condition will improve following the age of ten. Children with physiologic flat feet are usually asymptomatic, function as normal, and usually do not require treatment. Pathological flat feet are fixed and the arch of the foot does not reproduce by sitting or lying down. School children with foot problems, if in doubt, should first have a foot examination by a physician and be treated by a foot arch correction technique.
The age of 4-12 is a critical period for children’s arch growth and the golden period for arch correction. Dr. Gan recommends doing more exercises to strengthen the plantar muscles, such as rope skipping and the eighth pose of Baduanjin, to strengthen the plantar muscles, tendons and ligaments and help improve the arch of the foot. The author reminds that if the child has a congenital problem with the ridge of the foot, parents should pay more attention to the shoes and soles, and choose orthopedic shoes or pads that can effectively support the arch of the foot, which will help relieve foot pain and discomfort caused by walking and exercising. At the beginning of the new semester, when choosing schoolbags and back-to-school shoes suitable for school children, you may wish to consult relevant professionals.
