Having bowlegs means your knees do not touch one another when you are standing with your feet together. It can be so obvious sometimes that it may make you feel embarrassed to wear shorts, miniskirts and bathing suits. Having bowlegs is fairly normal among kids below 18 months. As they begin to walk, however, the condition gradually improves.
In some cases, the condition may fail to heal on its own. There are certain illnesses that may lave a child bowlegged as he or she grows. Some of these illnesses include rickets (softening and distortion of bones due to vitamin D deficiency), fluoride or lead poisoning, Blount’s disease (growth disorder of the shin bone) and fractures that fail to heal properly.
Bowlegs in children may be corrected by having the causative factor dealt with. Some specialists also recommend the use of special shoes or braces although it remains unclear to date whether or not such approach actually works very well. In extreme cases of bowlegs, surgery may be performed in order to have the bone deformity corrected.
If you used to be bowlegged when you were a child and the condition did not improve significantly or was not medically addressed properly, you may still exhibit the telltale signs of the condition. Luckily, there are a few remedies which you may try to have the problem corrected.
Refrain from assuming that home remedies for bowlegs are capable of dramatically altering the shape of your legs. The truth is carrying out the various solutions recommended by some specialist may result in only slight changes in the degree of the condition. If the problem seems to progress, it’s possible for the progression to be slowed down or even stopped through these remedies.
Exercises and supplementation can help in improving bowlegs. Exercises help in strengthening the muscles of the legs. Results can be more favorable and noticeable if the exercises performed build and strengthen the muscles in the upper legs and around the knees. Supplementation is another recommended approach. By providing the body with the nutrients it needs to help the bones develop properly and stay healthy, it’s possible for bowlegs to stop progressing.
The following is a closer look on the different home remedies for bowlegs:
Yoga
This form of exercise is a great way to improve not only the flexibility of your body but also its alignment. Initially, you may have a hard time doing some of the most traditional toga poses because of your condition. Fret not because the use of props such as yoga blocks and straps can help you attain and maintain the correct positions each time. As your body’s flexibility and alignment improve, you may find it easier to carry out much of the poses without the use of props.
Doing yoga is a great way to improve your body posture too. Especially when standing, it’s possible to make your bowlegs less noticeable if your body is properly aligned. As a bonus, doing yoga on a regular basis is a great way to deal with stress as well as maintain an ideal weight — something that saves your knees from doing a lot of work.
Pilates
Just like yoga, pilates can help improve both the flexibility and alignment of your body. Doing pilates on a regular basis allows you to strengthen your core muscles, thus giving you a better posture. There are many pilates moves that are very good at toning and strengthening the abdominal and back muscles. Similarly, there are also plenty of routines that can help in improving the strength and flexibility of the muscles in the upper legs and around the knees.
Leg Muscle Strengthening Exercise
There is a particular exercise for the legs that is said to be very helpful for someone with bowlegs. This leg workout strengthens the knee muscles, thus putting less strain on the tendons and cartilages in the area.
To do this particular exercise for strengthening the muscles in your knees, lie flat on an exercise bench or on the floor. Place a weight (10 pounds) between the feet. While squeezing the weight with your feet, slowly bend the knees. Attempt to bring your feet as close to your buttocks as you can. Extend your legs once more and repeat. Eventually, the 10-pound weight will make the exercise less challenging, so try using a slightly heavier weight.
Vitamin D Supplementation
There are times when the condition is due to deficiency in vitamin D, a nutrient necessary for proper bone development and strength. Experts say that children should have 400 10 1,000 IU and adults should have 1,500 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily.
