How To Prevent It and What Really Causes Bow Legs

Bowlegs also referred to as Genu Varum or bandiness is a physical deformity which leads to outward bowing of the lower leg in relation to the thigh. The condition makes a person’s knees stay wide apart while standing with feet and ankles together, with the appearance of an archer’s bow.

This condition may affect one or both legs.Bow legs correction Bowlegs may either develop physiologically or pathologically. Physiological bowlegs are a naturally occurring condition in babies, which improves as a child grows. Pathological bowing of legs requires treatment, and if untreated, tends to get worse as a child grows. this is also the category of bowlegs that affects adults. In instances where bow legs cause a long term problem, it results to chronic pain, difficulty walking, adverse deformity of the legs and early onset of arthritis.

Causes

While infants are born, they commonly have bow legs. This condition is normal and usually corrects itself when the child starts to walk. Bow-leggedness in infants is caused by the cramped space in which the infant resides in the womb.

Children who still have bow legs past the age of three may have abnormal bone development that may occur due to disease, poisoning, or lack of nutrients. For example, Blount’s disease can occur in young children, or in teenagers. The growth plates on the upper portion of the tibia develop abnormally with this disease, causing the lower legs to arch outwards.

In contrast, a child can have Rickets, which occurs when a child does not get or metabolize enough Vitamin D. It is more commonly seen in underdeveloped countries, since in countries like the United States, many products, such as milk are fortified with Vitamin D. Other causes of bow-leggedness are from broken bones that do not heal properly, or from lead or fluoride poisoning.

Bow Legs

Symptoms

Bow legs are usually first diagnosed by observation. Either other people or a medical doctor notices the way that the legs bow outwards, and the knees do not touch when standing with feet together. This is most evident when a bow-legged person stands or walks. Additionally, a person may find that they have an awkward walking though they still are able to walk and keep up with others. They may find, though, that this awkward gait may cause a sufferer to trip more than others who are not bow legged.

Typically, there is no pain for young children with bow legs. Teenagers, however, may notice some pain. It is not unusual for them to feel pain in the joints of the ankles, knees, or hips due to the abnormal stresses placed on them, by the way, the legs are curved. When bow leggedness continues untreated, a person is more likely to develop arthritis in the ankles, knees, and hips, causing continuous pain.

Prevention

If one suspects the child is bow legged, there are a few tests that can be done to diagnose. A simple blood test will be able to reveal the presence of Rickets as well as lead or fluoride poisoning. Sometimes, X-rays are taken to check on the severity of the deformity and diagnose Blount’s Disease.

Optimal Vitamin D levels for babies and children ensure proper development of bones, and specifically helps prevent and correct bowlegs in babies. There are various sources of Vitamin D, and intense sunshine is a natural and convenient source. Exposure to Sunshine triggers Vitamin D production in the skin. A diet rich in Vitamin D, calcium and phosphorous is also necessary to prevent and correct bow-legs in babies. Dairy products, eggs, fatty fish and beef liver are excellent sources of Vitamin D and calcium, while meat and meat alternatives such as beans and lentils are a perfect source of phosphorous.

While Blount’s Disease cannot be prevented, it can often be treated. Depending on the severity of the disease and the bow legs, special shoes, braces, or casts are often tried. Such devices seem to be most effective on young children, rather than adolescents.

While bow leggedness is most common in infants and adolescents, it is possible to see adults with untreated bow legs. Since it is harder to treat as one gets older, it is advantageous to diagnose and treat this condition as young as possible for the best outcome. Bow legs are a difficult condition to treat as one age since the bones are no longer growing.