Alternatives To Surgery

For those with normal legs, it can be difficult to imagine the desperation felt by having bow legs as an adult. 

In a child, bowed legs can often be straightened, sometimes with medical braces. 

However, an adult seems doomed to a life of reduced physical activity, and of imminent arthritis.

Arthritis Is A Serious Risk

For those with bow legs, the bowed shape of their legs can cause an extremely abnormal gait when walking. 

The very weight of a person's body puts intense, abnormal pressure on the knee and ankle joints while they walk, or indeed when they engage in just about any physical activity. 

The angles at which the limbs are postured in relation to the joints of the legs will also place severe strain upon the joints.

It goes without saying that this limits one's quality of life. 

It is impossible for people with bowed legs to engage in many sports, and they must respond more or less like a cripple when faced with many physical activities. 

However, the pain and discomfort of bowed legs are only the beginning of one's problems. 

Stress on the joints leads to inflammation, which in turn can cause arthritis. 

Ultimately, if left untreated, these symptoms can lead to complete degeneration of the joints.

Is Surgery A Realistic Option?

Not really. 

First of all, the risks are considerable - surgery requires that a surgeon physically remove, or even break, some of the bones in your legs. 

This in itself carries massive risk of infection, and can cause nerve damage. 

If your nerves are damaged, you could be left with a permanent disability, i.e. loss of function of the legs.

Even worse, the surgeon will have to physically put metal clamps on you, attaching them to your legs to maintain their shape post-surgery. 

There will be permanent scars that you'll have to bear for the rest of your life. 

Finally, there is the recovery period. 

It may take 3 or more months to recover. 

And you have to find a way to take that time out from your life. Last but not least, the recovery will also be painful.

What Is The Solution?

A special diet can correct the malnutrition that's usually at the core of a bowed leg problem. 

By malnutrition, I don't mean that you aren't eating enough. 

Rather, you are probably missing out on crucial elements and vitamins in your diet, and the lack of these is causing your legs to be bowed. 

There is nothing to worry about, though, as this can very easily be corrected with a course of vitamin and mineral supplements.

And then there's exercise - your body's posture needs to be corrected through yoga exercises. 

Most importantly, the strong thigh muscles need to be properly trained to support the leg. 

Hamstrings and tendons also need to be strengthened with special exercises. 

And finally, exercises need to be done that will gradually, over a period of a few months, correct the curvature of the legs. 

That is all that it takes to straighten bow legs.