You worry about your child’s teeth, eyes and other parts of their body, how about their developing feet which carry their entire body weight throughout a lifetime? Here at Moreland Podiatry, we offer Children’s Podiatry and are able to assess the health and development of your child’s feet. Early Intervention, should there be any issues, will help ensure the best outcome for strength and mobility in later life.
Children are very active and usually participate in team and individual sports that require a great deal of running and turning. It is important to have your child assessed by a Podiatrist as they are trained in all structures of the foot and lower leg including Neurological, Circulatory, Bones, Joints, Ligaments, Tendons and Muscles.
Children’s Podiatry: When should you visit a Podiatrist?
If you have any concern regarding your child’s feet or lower legs then you should seek advice from one of our Children’s Podiatrists. No issue is too small for our team of Podiatrists and they can diagnose and treat all types of children’s foot problems.
If your child is suffering from any lower leg symptoms, exhibits an awkward posture on standing, walking or running and uneven shoe wear then you should schedule a consultation with one of our Children’s Podiatrists.
No age is too young to visit our Children’s Podiatrists. The earlier the treatment begins the earlier the resolution for your child.
Common Children’s Foot Problems – Children’s Podiatry
Flat Feet:
With this condition, your child’s arch on the inside of the foot doesn’t develop causing what is commonly referred to as “Fallen Arches” or “Rolled in Feet”.
This can place strain on the muscles and ligaments associated with the foot resulting in a compensatory mechanism to develop – leading to sore and tired feet and legs. This is the main proponent in a child complaining of heel, foot, ankle, knee, and lower back pain.
In-Toeing:
In-Toeing refers to a condition in which your child has either one or both of their feet turned in and is commonly referred to as ‘Pigeon-Toed’.
It is a common condition in young children and is generally occurring without any symptoms being expressed by the child but you may notice that your child trips a lot when walking or running.
The cause is usually a result of a combination of lower limb factors from the child’s hip, lower leg and foot.
Out-Toeing:
Out-Toeing refers to a condition in which your child has either one or both of their feet turned out and is commonly referred to as ‘Cowboy Walking’. Your child may look awkward when walking or running.
The cause is usually a result of a combination of lower limb factors from the child’s hip, lower leg and foot.
Sever’s Disease:
Sever’s disease also referred to as ‘Severs’ or “Calcaneal Apophysitis” is a common cause of heel pain. The condition occurs most commonly in children between the ages of 8 and 14 years but it can occur in younger children. Both boys and girls are equally vulnerable to its debilitating effects.
It is a growing condition caused by excessive muscle strain on the growth plate of the heel bone resulting in heel pain either at the back or underneath the heel, especially after sports and activities.
Common symptoms for parents to look out for when their child is playing sport or activity is they have to stop prior to the end due to the pain or need a rest during their sport/activity, limp after sport/activity or require to have their heels rested, rubbed or iced post sport/activity.
The cause is usually a result of poor lower limb biomechanics involving the child’s lower leg and foot.
Osgood-Schlatters Disease:
Osgood-Schlatters Disease is a common cause of pain in front of the knee in late childhood and early adolescence. The child develops a noticeable swelling or lump just below the knee cap and is usually the result of excessive muscle strain on the growth plate of the Tibia bone.
Those children involved in highly active sports with lots of running and jumping are usually affected with one or both knees.
Common Symptoms include pain during or just after sport/activity and improves with rest.
The cause is usually a result of poor lower limb biomechanics involving the child’s upper & lower leg and foot.
Re-occurring Injuries:
If you have a child that is consistently getting an injury to their foot, ankle, leg and knee while doing their sport/activity this may be the result of their lower limb biomechanics.
Lower Limb Biomechanics include the foot, ankle, leg, knee, hips and lower back and if any of the associated muscles, ligaments and tendons are not capable of performing at their most efficient levels then this will lead to strain and compensatory mechanisms to occur.
The result is poor Lower Limb Biomechanics, which is then the major factor in your child’s constant injuries with their sport/activity. Our Podiatrists who specialise in Children’s Podiatry will be able to assess your child’s biomechanics.
Growing Pains:
Growing pains are irregular periods of pain that affect children between the ages of three and five years, and from eight to 11 years. Boys and girls are equally affected. Some young people may continue to experience growing pains into their early adolescence or teenage years.
Pain may be experienced in the legs – often the calf, the front of the thigh or behind the knees – and is often worse in the afternoon or evening. Sometimes, the pain can wake a child from their sleep.
Poor lower limb biomechanics and flat feet can place strain on the calf, thigh and knees and your child will need to be assessed by one of our Children’s Podiatrist.
Warts:
Warts are commonly referred to as “Veruccae” or “Papillomas” are a skin lesion that occurs on a child’s foot due to them being in contact with the Human Papilloma Virus. The most common place to catch a wart is from Swimming Pools and Camping Grounds or anywhere with shared facilities and lots of barefoot walking.
They appear either as a single or on multiple sites usually on the bottom surface of the foot. The wart usually forms a lump and is rough looking compared to the normal smooth skin. Warts usually have their own blood supply and hence you may see small black dots within it. No issue is too small for Children’s Podiatry – book an appointment if warts are concerning you.
How Can We Help?
At Moreland Podiatry our Podiatrists are trained in all aspects of Children’s Podiatry. They will be able to assess your child and provide the appropriate Treatment Plan that will enable them to achieve the best outcome for their condition or just give you the peace of mind that everything is within normal development for their age.
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