My Blog

Subscribe to our RSS Feed

3 Common Pediatric Foot Conditions

By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC

February 24, 2020

Category: Pediatric Foot Care

Tags: Sever's Disease children's foot problems foot structural abnormalities

At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we want our Middlesex county parents to know how to spot foot problems in their children and encourage them to seek treatment promptly. Sometimes children’s foot problems are not so easy to detect. Children, especially younger ones, are not always good at articulating foot pain or discomfort.

Parents may need to employ their sleuthing skills and take note of changes in behavior such as

Lagging behind playmates.
Expressing reluctance to participate in the physical activities they have previously enjoyed.
Vague complaints like “my legs are tired.”

These may all be signs that your child is experiencing foot or ankle pain.

Below are three disorders that occur more frequently in children how to identify them:

Athlete’s Foot—if you see your child frequently scratching their feet, examine the skin on the soles of their feet and between their toes. Dry, red, flaky skin may be a sign of athlete’s foot. If the infection is more advanced, you may also see blisters or oozing. To help prevent your child from contracting athlete’s foot (as well as other fungal infections), be sure that their feet are bathed daily and encourage them not to exchanges shoes or socks with their playmates. Make sure they wear flip-flops or shower shoes at public pools and restrooms.
Structural Abnormalities—it’s important that as your child’s foot grows and develops no abnormal gait or structural issues. Flat feet and in- or out-toeing are common and need to be diagnosed and corrected at their earliest stages to ensure healthy foot development. Depending on the severity of the abnormality, our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, may recommend exercises, a custom orthotic, or night splints/braces to correct the problem.
Sever’s Disease—although your child’s foot bone structure is well-formed by the age of 7 or 8, the growth plate at the back of the heel will not finish fully developing until somewhere around the age of 15. At the back of the heel, there is a vulnerable area where new bone is forming that can become inflamed due to repetitive action from sports and result in severe heel pain. Never tell your child to “play through the pain,” and be sure they have breaks throughout the year between sports seasons.

If you suspect something is not right with your child’s feet, contact our Cromwell office for an appointment today by calling: (860) 632-5499.

0 Comment(s) Permalink

Comments:

Contact Us

Questions or Comments?
We encourage you to contact us whenever you have an interest or concern about our services.

Call Today (860) 632-5499

162 West St Ste K
Cromwell, CT 06416

Podiatrist - Cromwell, Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, 162 West St Ste K, Cromwell CT, 06416 (860) 632-5499