The feet are the foundations of our bodies. Poor footwear choices, alignment issues, muscle imbalances or improper gait patterns can cause problems as our kids grow. Issues that we see at Wagga Podiatry Plus all of the time. Often kids will “grow out” of these things (i.e not need any treatment beyond monitoring). Other times they may require some form of treatment or help to get there.
The big question is when to intervene?
In short - definitely if there is pain. Kids are resilient and rarely complain of pain with exercise unless there is something seriously angry. If they complain of pain I would see this as a “red flag”. For “orange flags” I look for things like limping, abnormal tripping, dexterity issues or balance problems. They will likely benefit from having an assessment in case there is something more sinister going on but typically they may only require close monitoring or menial intervention.
How to intervene?
Whilst some children may complain of pain, it is often parents/guardians that notice abnormalities in our little ones. A good tip is to be on the look out for any abnormal tripping, limping, complaints of pain, abnormal arch shapes (high or low) or hesitancies to partake in activities.
If you do notice any of these we are here to help. We understand the importance of keeping our kids healthy and active and have undergone extensive training to ensure we can achieve this. We will accurately assess your children's feet, legs and hips and recommend any treatments that may be helpful to them.
Common foot problems that we are experienced at treating include...
- In-toeing (pigeon toe)
- Out-toeing (cowboy/Charlie Chaplain walk)
- Overlapping toes Tripping or limping
- Ingrowing toenails
-Heel pain
-Knee pain or Hip pain
-Growing pains
-Sever's Disease
- Oshgood Shlatters disease.
Whilst I can, (and probably will) do a blog post on each of these and how we treat them, for now, you can find more information in the “conditions” sections of the website.
If you have any questions regarding these issues feel free to give Wagga Podiatry Plus a call or contact us via email.
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