Children's Podiatry

What is Children’s Podiatry?

Children’s Podiatry deals with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of medical and surgical conditions of the feet and lower limbs. Children’s podiatry is important as early detection and treatment for many podiatric conditions can prevent more serious conditions occurring later. 

What Does Children's Podiatry Cover?

  • Flat feet.
  • Foot or Toe pain.
  • In-toeing (Pigeon Toes).
  • Heel Pain/Sever’s Disease.
  • Knee Pain/Osgood-Schlatter Disease.
  • Ingrown Toenails.
  • Tarsal Coalition.

Flat Feet In Children

A flat foot is normal in infants, and whilst most people’s arches develop throughout childhood, some people never develop arches. Babies are born with flat feet, due to fatty pads filling out the sole portion of their feet. It isn’t until they are around the age of 3 that these fatty pads start to disappear when they are walking freely and confidently.

As these pads diminish, the natural arch starts to develop between the ages of 3 to 6. However, 1 out of 10 children never develop the arch and they have flat feet through their adult years.

What Are The Causes of Flat Feet?

Genetic factors, with some people naturally having flatfeet and never developing arches.
  • Degeneration of the posterior tibial tendon, which helps to hold up the medial arch.
  • Injury to your foot or ankle.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Obesity.
  • Diabetes.

What is the Impact of Flat Feet?

Flat feet can cause aches and pains. Flat feet will often cause your legs to turn unnaturally inward and can contribute to injuries often associated with overuse and stress such as:
  • Shin splints.
  • Heel spurs.
  • Back problems.
  • Swollen ankles.
  • Knee problems, due to misalignment.
  • Plantar fasciitis.
  • Metatarsalgia.
  • Tendonitis and/or bunions.

How Are Flat Feet Diagnosed?

When Podiatrists look at the arch of your foot to see whether it’s touching the ground, they can also assess whether the foot’s position is ‘neutral’ or other.

Everyone’s foot fits somewhere on the arch scale from extremely flat, neutral or highly supinated or ‘high arched.’
Other signs that might indicate you have flat feet include:
  • Uneven shoe wear or shoes wearing out quickly.
  • Regular pain in your feet and/or legs – especially around the medial ankle.
  • Tripping or falling often (especially for children).
  • Feet that are weak, numb or stiff.

How Are Flat Feet Treated?

Over-Pronation can be treated conservatively with orthotic insoles that are designed with appropriate arch support to prevent over-pronation.


Stability shoes that feature a firm heel counter and wide soles help reduce over-pronation.

Other approaches include:

 

  • Rehabilitation program: Strengthening your foot muscles through toe curls, heel raises, and other exercises to improve foot support, stability and shock absorption.
  • Not walking barefoot: Always wear proper fitting and supportive shoes.

 

What If Flat Feet is Untreated?

If Over-Pronation of the feet is left untreated, they become progressively more painful and debilitating. Untreated and in its more severe form, the deltoid ligament on the inside of the ankle fails, resulting in the deformity in the ankle. This deformity over time can result in arthritis in the ankle.
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