Can a Clubfoot be treated without surgery?

What is clubfoot?

Clubfoot is a congenital condition (inborn disease) that causes baby’ foot and ankle to twist permanently. In clubfoot, the tendons and ligaments that hold the muscles to the bones are excessively. This causes the tissues around the lower leg to hold the foot in an anomalous position. Clubfoot looks like a leader of the golf club, which is how it gets this name.

Clubfoot is an intrinsic deformation, which means you are brought into the world with this condition. Doctors diagnose this deformity in the early stage because the tissues are flexible of a newly born baby. So, bracing and casting can be done easily. If you get the treatment for clubfoot early, the chances of recovering will get increased.

Yet the causes of the clubfoot are still unclear, but the risk of being born with it higher if:

●       You are male.

●       Your mother smoked during pregnancy.

●       Someone else in your family has clubfoot.

●       You have spinal cord injuries.

How does clubfoot get repaired?

There are two types of methods used in repairing the clubfoot deformity. The first one is surgical and second one is non-surgical. For most babies, a non-surgical method is the best treatment. There are few reliable techniques like stretching, reshaping, casting and bracing which can successfully correct the position of the legs without giving any pain to the baby. In this blog we are going to discuss only Clubfoot Treatment Ponseti

In non-surgical method, doctors use two techniques that we have mentioned below-

●       Casting.

●       Bracing.

Here, we will tell you about the above-mentioned methods one by one.

Casting: Sometimes non-surgical methods such as casting, can correct clubfoot. Casting is the method for correcting clubfoot in the hopes of avoiding surgery. The ponseti method is the most common technique used to correct the position of the baby. Your doctor gently stretches your leg into a more normal position and secures it with a cast. Every few weeks, you must visit the doctor clinic for casting. Once the casting is performed successfully, your doctor will proceed towards the bracing.

Bracing: A bracing method is nothing, it is used to stabilize the structure of your leg. After casting your doctors will cover your legs with braces that brings stability in your legs and turns into normal legs. You must wear braces for 1 years at least all the time. After six months you can wear these braces in the night only.

Final say:

We hope this comprehensive guide on how to treat clubfoot with a non-surgical method helps you a lot. If your child or your friend’s child has a clubfoot, then it is advisable to consult with the doctor as early as possible. Because non-surgical methods only work if you opt for the treatment in the early age of a life. You should also wear clubfoot shoes after treatment it protect your legs and make your walk comfortable: