Children
We want to help manage your foot or ankle condition so that you can recover and move forward in life. There are a number of conditions affecting the foot and ankle common to children. This information is not intended to cover the entire spectrum for foot and ankle conditions, but provide extra information to those who want it.
- OSGOOD SCHLATTER'S DISEASE (KNEE PAIN)
Does your child complain of a painful knee particularly during sport?
Or do they complain of a painful, usually swollen area just below the knee cap? Then they are probably suffering from a common growth related condition called Osgood Schlatter’s Disease.
This condition is not a disease as such, but rather a tight tendon attachment to a soft growth plate located below the knee.
During periods of rapid bone growth, particularly in the long bones of the leg, this tendon pulls at the immature growth plate to which it is attached and causes inflammation and pain.
Treatment for this problem includes the appropriate stretching exercises, perhaps a visit to the physiotherapist, and a visit to the podiatrist who may prescribe orthotics if foot posture and mechanics are contributing factors. If foot motion is incorrect, this can result in the muscles of the leg working harder to control the poorly functioning feet and hence put more strain on the knee.
For more detailed information, see our Acrobat pdf Information sheets on Osgood Schlatter’s Disease and Children's Feet which are available on our website.
Please remember that the information in these documents should not be used as a substitute for podiatric or medical attention.
Related Information Sheets
- STRETCHING EXERCISES FOR HOME
STRETCHING EXERCISES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
Your Podiatrist may recommend a range of stretches as part of your treatment plan.
These should be carried out at least 2–3 times a day and especially before and after exercise.
The correct way to properly stretch muscles is slow and relaxed. Do not bounce, as this will only pull the muscles rather than stretch them. You should hold the stretch to the point of mild tension, rather that to the point of pain, as this may cause damage to the muscles.
Each stretch should be held for at least 15 seconds and remember to breathe rather than holding your breath. With each repetitive stretch, try to take it slightly further than the last.
For more detailed information, see our Acrobat pdf Information sheets on Stretching exercises for home which is available on our website.
Please remember that the information in these documents should not be used as a substitute for podiatric or medical attention.
Related Information Sheets
- FLAT FEET
Have you noticed that your or your child’s feet are flat?
Or have you been told the same thing by a shoe sales assistant?
Flat feet are often an indication that the foot’s architecture and hence function are not correct.
Just as engineers construct bridges and buildings with arch structures incorporated in the design to support weight, your feet have anatomical arches to perform the same task, seeing as your entire body weight rests and is supported by your feet.
When your arches are collapsed, your foot becomes flat and unable to perform its task efficiently. The bone, tendon and ligament structures that compose this natural arch fatigue and you can subsequently get pain and discomfort in your feet. These symptoms can also be experienced in the ankles, legs, knees, hips and lower back as they are all structures that lie above the foundation being your feet.
Treatment for this problem often involves a comprehensive assessment of your individual biomechanical structure and function. There are a range of modalities that may be used to assist in the process, for example, a computerised gait analysis system.
At Junction Podiatry, we can help tailor a treatment plan specific to your problem and activity needs. This may involve the use of customized foot othrotics, appropriate footwear advice and exercises.
For more detailed information, see our Acrobat pdf Information sheets on Flat Feet and Accessory Navicular which are available on our website.
Please remember that the information in these documents should not be used as a substitute for podiatric or medical attention.
Related Information Sheets
- WARTS
Warts on the bottom of the foot called plantar warts or verrucae can often be very uncomfortable.
They can be so painful, you may think you have a splinter or piece of glass stuck in the bottom of your foot. A wart is a virus and can be easily transmissible between family members.
Treatment is often painless and involves the use of topical medication that, when professionally applied and monitored by our Podiatrists, proves very successful, particularly in the case of children. Occasionally stubborn warts can be removed using a surgical technique if required.
For more detailed information, see our Acrobat pdf Information sheets on plantar warts which is available on our website.
Please remember that the information in these documents should not be used as a substitute for podiatric or medical attention.
Related Information Sheets
- SEVER'S DISEASE (HEEL PAIN)
Does your child complain of painful heels and limp off the ground after playing sport?
They are probably experiencing one the most common growth related conditions that affects young, active children, usually boys more than girls. Given the name Sever’s disease, this condition is not a disease at all!
Essentially, Sever’s disease is when a tight Achilles tendon pulls at the growth plate in your child’s heel bone.
This results in local inflammation and pain, which is aggravated with activity. This condition usually coincides with a period of growth, which makes the muscles tighter. Treatment for this once upon a time was stopping your child from playing sport. Seeing as this condition occurs in very active children who love to play sport, this would be the worst possible thing to tell your child!
Sever’s disease is treated very successfully with the correct management. Given the appropriate stretches, footwear advice and the use of orthotics to help correct any foot positional problems will allow your child to return to his or her desired level of sporting activity very quickly.
For more detailed information, see our Acrobat pdf Information sheets on Children's feet and Sever’s disease which are available on our website.
Please remember that the information in these documents should not be used as a substitute for podiatric or medical attention.
Related Information Sheets
- INGROWN TOENAILS
Is the edge of your toenail extremely sore to even the lightest touch or in your footwear?
Do you peel yourself off the roof if you accidentally brush the tip of your toe against something?
You may be suffering from an ingrown toenail which could be infected and therefore have greater effects on your activity and health.
Treatment for this is very effective and your worries about what needs to be done will soon be eased by our experienced and friendly Podiatrists. You can usually leave pain free and wondering why you have been putting up with the pain for so long!
For more detailed information, see our Acrobat pdf Information sheets on Ingrown Toenails which is available on our website.
Please remember that the information in these documents should not be used as a substitute for podiatric or medical attention.
Related Information Sheets
- ARCH PAIN
Do the arches in your feet ache after standing for a while?
Or do they hurt when you are walking and running?
Seeing as the arches in your feet are specifically designed as a mechanical structure to support your feet and all that is above them, it is no wonder they can hurt from time to time! Quite often, arch pain is due to them collapsing gradually over time, which reduces the amount of support the foot can provide.
Other times it is simply due to poor structure and function of your feet which can be an inherited feature. This very common problem can be readily addressed and corrected using the proper assessment techniques such as computerized walking assessment technology using the SiliconCoach digital analysis software which we have onsite.
We can also examine and recommend the appropriate prescription orthotic device if required to assist in supporting and maintaining the arches in the desired mechanical position and hence reduce the amount of fatigue and discomfort that you are experiencing.
For more detailed information, see our Acrobat pdf Information sheets on Footwear and Flat Feet and Accessory Navicular which are available on our website.
Please remember that the information in these documents should not be used as a substitute for podiatric or medical attention.
Related Information Sheets
