I Spy Kids Foot Conditions

A parent’s primary concern is the health and wellbeing of his or her child. Naturally, you want your child to experience the least amount of pain possible – something you can achieve by recognizing problems at their earliest stages. If we are able to treat a case of flatfoot that causes overpronation, for example, we may be able to prevent your son or daughter from developing a painful bunion. Early treatment also allows your child to get back to his or her favorite activities in the least amount of time.

An active lifestyle is important not only for a developing body, but also as a habit to start early and keep into adulthood. Of course, it is difficult to stay active with a foot or ankle that hurts, so you should keep aware of common child foot problems like:

• Clubfoot – This term actually refers to several foot abnormalities that are congenital (present at birth) and cause a baby’s foot to be twisted out of position or in an unusual shape. In these conditions, the tendons—which connect muscles to bones—are shorter than normal. This is often an isolated issue for a newborn and many cases are treated without surgery.
• Intoeing – In an intoeing condition, a child’s toes point inwards (as one might imagine). The root cause of the abnormal inwards foot positioning can be the foot itself, the tibia (shinbone), or the femur (thighbone). Most cases resolve themselves in time, without having any long-term issues.
• Flexible flatfoot – When a child has flat foot while standing or walking, but arches appear when bodyweight is taken off the feet, we refer to the condition as “flexible flatfoot.” A rigid case of flatfoot might actually be cause for some concern, but flexible flatfoot generally only requires treatment if symptoms are present.
• Sever’s disease – Sever’s is the most common cause of heel pain for adolescents. Somewhat misleading in its name, Sever’s is not actually a disease. Instead, it is basically a situation that develops when the heel bone (particularly a growth plate in the back) reaches physical maturity before its connective tissue (Achilles tendon). Treatment is centered on managing symptoms, since the condition goes away once the Achilles tendon catches up to the heel bone.

There are certainly many instances wherein there’s no need to worry about a child’s foot conditions, but remember that we are always ready to help your son or daughter here at Wilks Advanced Foot Care. We can evaluate your child’s foot or ankle condition and provide the compassionate care your child needs. Give our Roseburg, OR office a call at (541) 673-0742 to schedule an appointment, or connect with us online today.