As a parent, you’re probably very familiar with complaints from your kids. Complaints about their dinner, complaints about their clothes, complaints about school, and just about anything else under the sun. Sometimes, we’re even a little suspicious when they complain about pain, but when it comes to their health, you can’t be too careful.
Here are some of the most common foot complaints from kids that we hear at The Foot Hub, and what you should do about them.
Foot Pain
This has to be the most common foot complaint from kids. It’s difficult to deal with as a parent, as the foot is made up of so many different bones, ligaments and muscles, so there are a multitude of things that could be causing the foot pain.
Poor choice of shoes, ingrown toenails, plantar warts, excessive physical activity are all possible causes of foot pain in children.
If you’re concerned about your child’s complaints of foot pain, especially if there is no obvious visible sign of the pain, an appointment with a specialised paediatric podiatrist in Sydney could set your mind at rest.
Leg Pain
It is possible that foot pain could be referred up through the ankle, shin, knee, or leg in general.
Causes could be the ones described above, but if your child is regularly complaining about leg pain and there is no obvious cause, it’s definitely time to see a children’s podiatrist.
Heel Pain
Heel pain is a more specific foot complaint from children and should be attended to as soon as it presents.
While a child’s feet are still growing, the bones of the feet often grow at a faster rate than the muscles and tendons. This can lead to tension in the foot and more specifically, the heel area. This could be Sever’s disease, which is often easily remedied with custom orthotics such as arch supports.
If you have a particularly active child, one that participates in a lot of sporting or physical activities, and they complain of heel pain, take them to see a podiatrist as early as possible.
Flat Feet
Some parents have concerns when they realise their child has flat feet. While flat feet on its own is not usually a cause for concern for most podiatrists, if your child is complaining of pain and there is no clear cause, it should be investigated to determine if there are other underlying problems.
Arch supports could help to take the pressure off the foot and help the arch develop naturally over time.
Pigeon Toes
While it sounds funny, pigeon toes are no laughing matter. Pigeon toes are exactly what they sound like – it’s when children’s toes point inwards when they walk or run.
It could be caused by 3 different things: the foot turns inwards, the shinbone turns inwards, or the thighbone turns inwards.
Often this does correct itself without any intervention, but if you’re concerned about your child’s foot development, don’t hesitate to contact our podiatry clinic in Sydney.
Our specialist paediatric podiatrists in Sydney can help diagnose and treat most common foot complaints from kids, or at least give you peace of mind as a parent that your child is doing just fine as they are!
Book an appointment online with us today, or call us on 02 8096 4763 for more information about our children’s podiatry appointments.
