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4 Ways to Cure Bow Legs - wikiHow

How to Cure Bow Legs

Four Methods:

General Treatment

Treatment for Physiologic Genu Varum

Treatment for Blount's Disease

Treatment for Rickets

Bowlegs are a fairly common deformity in toddlers and young children, but in
rare cases, they can also develop in teenagers and adults. The proper way to
cure Bowlegs will depend upon the underlying condition causing the deformity.
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Part 1 of 4: General Treatment

Diagnose the underlying cause. The treatment for Bowlegs can vary depending on
the medical condition causing the legs to bow. Some conditions may affect other

parts of the body, so it is important to address the overall disorder instead of fixing only the
Bowlegs.
Physiologic genu verum is the most reason for Bowlegs in children under 2 years
of age. This is a normal variation in leg appearance that usually corrects itself as
the child continues to grow.
Blount's disease can cause Bowlegs in toddlers and adolescents. It occurs when
the growth plate in the upper part of the tibia develops abnormally.
Rickets is another common cause of Bowlegs in children. When children do not
get enough calcium, phosphorus, or vitamin D, bone deformities like Bowlegs can
develop.
When Bowlegs develop in adolescents and adults, they usually result from
fractures or breaks that heal improperly, lead or fluoride poisoning, obesity,
tumors, infection, or arthritis.
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Treat any underlying disease. In some instances, treating the underlying disease
responsible for Bowlegs can correct the problem without further measures being

taken.
Treatment for lead poisoning usually involves the use of lead-binding medications
and injections of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, a chemical that helps correct
lead levels in the blood.[1]
Fluoride poisoning can be treated with calcium carbonate or magnesium
hydroxide, both of which bind fluoride in the stomach.[2]
Tumors can are either physically removed through surgery, treated with
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chemotherapy, or treated with radiation.

When an infection is to blame, strong antibiotics may be administered through an
IV. A brief to extended hospital stay will usually be necessary.

Lose weight. Obesity can be enough of a problem on its own to cause Bowlegs in
both children and adults. When another cause is to blame, even moderate amounts of

excess weight can worsen the problem.

When the hips and knees need to support excess amounts of upper body weight,
the joints and bones can weaken and gradually become distorted.
Your doctor may recommend weight loss surgery if you are severely overweight
and in urgent need of a solution.
In most cases, however, it is much safer and healthier to drop extra weight by
getting plenty of cardiovascular exercise and by maintaining a balanced diet filled
with conservative portions of healthy foods.

Learn about surgery. Some underlying conditions can only be fixed through surgical
correction of the leg bones. Even underlying conditions that are typically treated in

other ways may require surgery when nonsurgical methods of correction fail.
If a leg heals improperly after a fracture, break, or similar trauma, surgery is almost
always required to straighten the leg out.
The exact procedure can vary by need and by surgeon, but in most instances,
small incisions are made in the leg to provide the surgeon access to the bone. If
the natural bone cannot be straightened itself, artificial devices might be inserted
into the structure of the leg to help straighten it. Oftentimes, little to no major
scarring is left behind.[3]

Undergo physical therapy. Regardless of the treatment used, you may need to
undergo some form of physical therapy to strengthen the leg muscles once the

Bowlegs are cured. Physical therapy can make it easier to walk correctly in a shorter period
of time.
You may need in-patient physical therapy for two weeks or so after surgery is
performed.
When gradual, nonsurgical methods of correction are used, you may need to
undergo physical therapy for two to five months.

Part 2 of 4: Treatment for Physiologic Genu Varum

Wait it out. When physiologic genu varum causes Bowlegs in a toddler, the problem
will usually correct itself by the time the child is three or four years old.
Your child's doctor will usually want you to schedule a check-up every six months, if
not sooner, until the bowing corrects itself.[4]
If little improvement is seen, the doctor will then determine if another cause is to

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blame or if surgical intervention might be needed.

Avoid leg braces and similar nonsurgical treatments. When Bowlegs are
naturally occurring like this, the use of orthopedic devices may actually hinder the

body's natural method of straightening its legs.[5]

Everyone's circumstances and needs can vary, however, so your toddler's doctor
may still recommend the use of braces or similar devices if he or she believes it to
be beneficial.

Resort to surgery only when necessary. In rare instances, the problem may not
correct itself even though no other underlying cause is behind it.
If the deformity is minor, your doctor may advise against surgery.
If the deformity is significant and causes pain, difficulty walking, or major cosmetic
concerns, you can usually resort to surgery meant to straighten the leg bone.

Part 3 of 4: Treatment for Blount's Disease

Do not wait. As soon as bowed legs are diagnosed as a symptom of Blount's

disease, you should work on curing the problem.
When left untreated, leg deformities caused by this disease will usually worsen and
bowing will become more apparent. By the time a child with infantile Blount's
disease reaches adolescence, he or she will likely experience severe discomfort
or pain in the knee of the bowed leg.

Use leg braces or similar options. During a child's toddler years and early
childhood, a doctor may recommend the use of leg braces, corrective shoes, and/or

special casts.
These devices are successful for some children but may not be successful for
all.[6]
Bracing and similar methods are rarely effective for teenagers and adults with this
disease, however.

Treat with surgery if nonsurgical treatments fail. As soon as nonsurgical bracing

is deemed ineffective, a doctor will usually recommend corrective surgery to fix the

Bowlegs.
Children suffering from infantile Blount's disease should undergo surgery before
the age of four to minimize the risk of permanent growth damage.
Older children, teens, and adults are almost always treated with surgery. The
growth of the bone might be permanently affected at these stages of life, but the
legs can usually be straightened adequately nonetheless.
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Part 4 of 4: Treatment for Rickets

Treat early on. When left untreated, rickets will usually cause the bowing to worsen
and become more pronounced.
As the condition continues to worsen, discomfort and pain can begin to develop in
the knee and throughout the entire leg.
Note that other skeletal deformities can develop in an individual who has rickets.
These deformities will need to be treated, too.

Fortify the leg bones with improved nutrition. Bowlegs and other effects caused
by rickets can often be managed by increasing the body's intake of calcium and

vitamin D.
In mild cases, natural sources might provide enough of these nutrients to correct
the problem. Sunlight can provide more vitamin D, as can fish, liver, and
processed milk. Most dairy products provide calcium.
In more severe cases, the doctor may prescribe special vitamin D supplements.
Too much vitamin D can be dangerous, so it is important that you follow the
doctor's instructions carefully when using these supplements.[7]

Schedule regular appointments. Throughout the treatment period, a patient

suffering from rickets should see the doctor every few months so that the doctor can

follow the progression of the disease and act accordingly.

You may also need to see a metabolic specialist for more specialized
management.

Use braces and similar orthopedic treatments.[8] While leg braces cannot cure
rickets, it can help correct Bowlegs caused by rickets in some patients.
Corrective shoes and special casts might also be used.
Note that bracing is a supplemental treatment at best. If left untreated, rickets will
only cause the bones to continue weakening and the Bowlegs will return.

Correct the problem with surgery. Nonsurgical treatments are usually successful
when treating Bowlegs caused by rickets. When Bowlegs persist or worsen even after

treating for rickets, though, surgery will be needed.

Early treatment is the best way to avoid the need for surgery. When the deformity
occurs during the developmental stage of growth and is not treated until after major
growth has stopped, surgical correction is frequently required.
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Sources and Citations

1. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/leadpoisoning/basics/treatment/con-20035487
2. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/814774-treatment
3. http://ladisten.com/bow-legs.shtml
4. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00230
5. http://www.drgreene.com/articles/bowlegs/
6. http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/bowlegs/overview.html
7. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/rickets/basics/treatment/con-20027091
8. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000344.htm

Article Info

Categories: Feet Knees and Legs

In other languages:
Portugus: Curar Pernas Arqueadas

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