Zukunft-Huber Foot Therapy: Help for Foot Deformities in Children

Some babies are born with a little foot that points inward, is twisted or sits at an angle. For parents, that is often a shock. The good news: in the first months of life, a child’s foot is still very malleable. This is exactly where three-dimensional manual foot therapy on a neurophysiological basis according to Barbara Zukunft-Huber comes in: a gentle physiotherapy method for foot deformities in childhood.

At our practice at Fürth main station, our physiotherapist Silke is trained in this method.

Who is Barbara Zukunft-Huber?

Barbara Zukunft-Huber is a pediatric physiotherapist who treated only babies and toddlers for decades. She first presented her foot therapy in 1992 at an international symposium on pediatric orthopedics. Her textbook “Der kleine Fuß ganz groß” is now considered the standard reference on the subject. Only therapists who have completed the corresponding training may use the method.

What does “three-dimensional” mean?

A foot deformity is almost never “bent” in just one direction. In clubfoot, for example, the foot is turned inward, pointed downward (equinus) and tilted onto its outer edge, all at the same time. Correcting just one of these directions achieves little.

Zukunft-Huber foot therapy therefore corrects all three planes, step by step and in a fixed order. The leg is positioned the way a baby naturally holds it when reaching for its feet. The method is thus modeled on natural foot development in the first year of life, hence the phrase “on a neurophysiological basis”.

How does treatment work?

1. Assessment: First, we take a close look at your child’s foot, mobility and motor development.
2. Manual correction: Using targeted, gentle holds, shortened muscles are stretched and the foot is guided into the correct position in all three planes. Weak muscles are strengthened.
3. Fixation: The foot is then held in the corrected position with an elastic bandage or tape. Unlike a cast, this allows movement: your child can kick, grasp and explore their feet.
4. Parents as co-therapists: We show you the holds and how to apply the bandage so you can continue the treatment at home several times a day. This regularity is what makes the method effective.

The earlier treatment starts, the better it makes use of the young foot’s malleability.

Which foot deformities can it help with?

Zukunft-Huber foot therapy is used mainly for babies and children, for example with:

• Metatarsus adductus (the forefoot points inward)
• Clubfoot, alongside orthopedic treatment
• Calcaneal foot (the foot is strongly bent upward)
• Flexible flat foot (pes planovalgus)
• Neurologically caused foot deformities, for example with spasticity

Physiotherapy and orthopedics working hand in hand

Foot therapy does not replace pediatric orthopedics. For congenital clubfoot, for example, Ponseti casting is the established first step. Three-dimensional foot therapy can usefully complement and accompany such treatment, always in close consultation with the treating physician. Whether it is right for your child, and in which combination, we decide together with your pediatrician or orthopedist.

Foot therapy for children in Fürth

Silke combines Zukunft-Huber foot therapy with her experience in neurological treatment with PNF and in pediatric physiotherapy. Want to know more about her? Our team page introduces her and her colleagues. You can read more about our full range of services under physiotherapy.

Treatment is provided as physiotherapy on a doctor’s prescription, for example from your pediatrician or orthopedist. Do you have questions or would you like to book an appointment? Call our reception at 0911 240 654 00 (Mon–Fri 8 am–6 pm) or get in touch with us. We are right at Fürth main station, step-free with an elevator.