Flat feet in children: Do inserts help or retaliate? And how is the walking barefoot and barefoot footwear strengthen feet?

As a parent, it is natural that you want all the best for your child. If someone told you your child has flat feet and should carry orthopedic cartridges or rigid footwear - you are not the only one.

Many moms and dads are frightened when they hear this recommendation, especially if it comes from the doctor. But let's clarify together if it is really necessary and what makes modern science say.

🦶 What are flat feet and when are they really a problem?

Flat feet mean that the inner vault of the feet is not seen while the child stands. But what most people don't know is that it is completely normal in small children.

The feet look straight because they are full of fatty tissue, and the muscles are not yet developed. As the child grows, it moves and play, the foot vault is formed naturally - usually up to 6. Or 7. years, and in some children and later.

Therefore, if your child has no pain, it is not often interpreted and develops normally, There is no need for worry. In most cases, the child needs only more games, movements and - to be barefore as often as possible.

There are two forms of flat feet:

• Flexible flat feet - The vault appears when the child stopped on the fingers. This is the most common form and does not require any treatment.

• Rigid flat feet - The vault does not exist even when the child is sitting or standing on the fingers. In that case, it is necessary to refer you to a specialist.

🏃 How are flat feet in fact?

Today, children spend a lot of time in a rigid, closer footwear, often with an elevated fifth and hard sole.

Such shoes does not allow foot muscles to work, and therefore they are even developed as they should.

In addition, children spend less and less time outside, on uneven terrain, just that game on grass, sand, the country is what naturally stimulates the development of healthy feet.

👟 And what about the cartridges? Don't they help?

If your child already wears the cartridges - don't worry, you didn't make a mistake. Most parents are advised from the best intention, often without sufficient information about alternatives.

 This text is here to provide you with a second perspective, based on modern knowledge.

Of course, there are specific diagnoses and conditions (such as neuromascic disorders or rigid deformations) where inserts and additional support can have their place, but in most children with flexible flat feet - not needed.

Despite the ingrained opinion, Orthopedic cartridges are not recommended in children who have flexible flat feet and have no pain.

Cartridges do work instead of muscles - and thus actually weak foot. In the long run, it can lead to the child develop dependence on external support and never strengthens the natural vault.

Many international studies showed the following (including study studies The Foot and Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics):

• The insoles do not speed up the formation of the vault - Natural development continues to happen to the same pace, only without activating the muscles. This confirms the study published in the magazine The Foot (2012), where there is no evidence that the cartridges affect the development of vault in children with flexible flat feet.

• Inserts can lead to compensation in walking - The body can develop unnatural patterns of movement to adjust the cartridge, as long as it may affect the workload and distribution of the load. This is the conclusion of the study published in Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics (1999). Which means that the body begins to make unnatural movements to adapt to the support that comes from the outside.

• Children without symptoms do not need any treatment - This is also confirmed by numerous pediatric and orthopedic organizations, including Harvard Health.

📖 What does modern science and international recommendations say?

Numerous research from the Orthopedia, Pediatrics and Biomechanics agree in the following:

✅ If a child has a flexible flat foot but no pain and function normally - It doesn't need any therapy.

✅ Cartridges do not correct feet - can eventually alleviate the pain of elderly children if there is a symptom, but do not contribute to the development of the vault. In some cases they can even weaken the foot muscles, because they take over their function.

✅ Walking barefoot or in barefoot shoes allows Natural foot development through muscle activation, stabilization and proprioception.

These conclusions are confirmed through:

• Randomized controlled studio from 2021. which showed that everyday walking barefoot during 12 weeks significantly improves the vault in children aged 6-9 years (ResearchGate, 2021).

• Recommendations British National Health System (NHS), which clearly point out that flat feet are normal in children under 6, that most children grow this condition without therapy and that insoles and corrective shoes are rarely needed. Also, they state that walking barefoot at home and out - when safe - desirable.

• Nationwide Children's Hospital (USA), which recommends a barefoot game on natural surfaces as the best way to strengthen the feet. They state that cartridges or special shoes are not required if the child has no pain or difficulty walking.

• Staheli Studio from 1987. which shows that children who often walk barefoots have fewer cases of flat feet in relation to children who constantly wear shoes.

• Research Hollander-A 2017 Published in Gait & Posture magazine that confirms BOSO walking contributes to strengthening the vault muscles and better motor control.

• Analysis published in Journal of Foot and Ankle Research (2020) which points out that most experts agree that the cartridges are not needed in children with flexible flat feet if there are no symptoms.

• Harvard Health, which emphasizes, "If a child has no symptoms, no treatment is required."

🔍 How can you check if everything is ok?

There are simple tests you can do at home:

👣 Wet test - Let the child wet the feet and fit on paper or tiles. If the print is full and it is not seen vault, the foot is straight. If the vault is still seen when the child is raised on the fingers - everything is right.

🦶 Raising test - If a bow (s vod) appears when lifting, the foot muscles are functional and that the foot has a capacity to develop naturally.

In both cases - if a child does not have pain, it does not matter and actively play - you can be calm.

If you are looking for a natural solution - you already have it. It's Walking barefoot. Numerous studies show that children who walk bare more often:

• Have Smaller flat foot cases

• Have Stronger foot muscles and better motor abilities

• Have Better balance and proprioception (feeling where the body is in space)

In situations when a child cannot be barefoot (eg outside or in kindergarten), Barefoot footwear It is a great alternative - it allows the foot to act naturally, as if it is boso, but with protection.

🤔 And what do I do now?

If your child:

• There is no pain in feet

• Normally run, jumps and plays

• There is no stiffness in the foot or serious deformation

... then he probably doesn't need any insert, therapeutic shoe or special intervention. Instead, Support him to walk bosso whenever one can, to climb, run around the grass and develops muscles that will naturally form a vault.

Note: This text is for information character and does not replace the professional review. If you have doubts and the child shows symptoms, consult with a pediatric or specialist orthopedic.

Cardbags and orthopedic interventions can have their own justification in special cases - such as rigid flat feet (remaining a child is located or raised to fingers, feet, feet or back connected, walking, frequent interchangings or wastes in motor development.

📚 For moms and dads who want to know more

If you like to explore, here are some studies and texts that served as a basis for this text:

Harvard Health: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/fallen-arch-a-to-z
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research (2020): https://jfootankleres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1757-1146-6-22
Gait & Posture - Hollander et al. (2017): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0966636217303733
Staheli et al. (1987): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3560538/
The Foot (2012): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0958259211001133
Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics (1999): https://journals.lww.com/pedorthopaedics/Abstract/1999/03000/Do_foot_orthoses_alter_the_natural_history_of.4.aspx
NHS UK: https://elht.nhs.uk/services/orthotics/patient-information/what-parents-should-know-about-flatfeet-intoeing-bent-legs-and-shoes-children
Nationwide Children's Hospital: https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2016/05/flat-feet-why-kids-should-go-barefoot-this-summer
ResearchGate (2021): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350066781_Effects_of_barefoot_walking_on_the_flat_foot_in_school_going_children_A_Randomised_control_trial
National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/why-walking-barefoot-can-actually-help-your-feet

👣 The feet know their jobs. It's up to us to let them work.