What is manual therapy for hips and feet?
Manual therapy for hips and feet covers a range of manual techniques used to assess and encourage optimal hip and foot mobility, as well as correct joint and muscle function. In children, the therapy is carried out with gentle movements and touch, always adapted to their age, stage of development and individual needs.
What is the goal of manual therapy for hips and feet?
The goal of the therapy is to reduce soft tissue tension, improve joint mobility and encourage the development of correct movement patterns, which are important for healthy motor development and later correct walking.
What are the most common reasons for infant hip physiotherapy?
The most common reasons infants are referred for hip physiotherapy include:
- developmental hip dysplasia – the hip is not correctly developed or is unstable
- limited hip mobility – one leg is harder to open outward, or there is a difference in mobility between the left and right hip
- asymmetry of movement or position – the baby favours one side of the body, has asymmetric skin folds, or prefers turning to one side
- increased or decreased muscle tone – the leg muscles are overly tense or weaker than expected
- a condition following treatment with orthopaedic aids – after wearing a brace or Pavlik harness for developmental hip dysplasia, physiotherapy helps gradually establish correct movement patterns
Which conditions are most commonly treated with manual therapy for infant feet?
Manual therapy can be part of the approach for the following conditions:
- metatarsus adductus
- talipes equinovarus (clubfoot)
- calcaneovalgus foot
- flexible flatfoot (pes planovalgus)
- pes cavus (high-arched foot)
Whenever a foot deformity is suspected, a professional examination is important to determine whether it is a flexible (positional) deformity, which often resolves spontaneously or responds well to exercises and manual therapy, or a rigid (structural) deformity, which requires assessment by a paediatric orthopaedic specialist and specific treatment.
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