Does Your Child Have Flat Feet?

As a parent, there are always a million things on your mind: meals, milestones, memories, and much, much more. Your child’s feet are probably pretty low on that list. But if you notice flat feet, that’s not something to ignore

What are Pediatric Flat Feet?

A person with flat feet has no arch on their instep. You can usually see this from their footprints, which will show the whole base of the foot. Pediatric flat feet is a condition in which the entire sole of the child’s foot contacts the ground. Also known as pes planus and fallen arches, flat feet occur when the foot’s arch either fails to develop or collapses.

My child has flat feet. Should I be worried?

For most children, having flat feet is not a cause for concern. It is a natural part of a child’s development and most will outgrow the condition and develop a normal arch.

Of those that don’t, the condition will rarely cause a problem and most children can still take part in sports activities without feeling any pain or other complications. This is considered a normal variation in foot type.

A child may have flexible flat feet, in which the arches are visible when they are sitting but as soon as they stand and put weight on their feet, the arches disappear. Children normally outgrow this.

Has your child been checked by our trusted Podiatrist? Find out more.

Flat feet in children is fairly common due to the fact that their bones and joints are still extremely flexible. Most children outgrow the condition by age six. Even those who don’t outgrow the condition around 15% rarely require treatment.

If you think your child has flat feet, talk to his or her doctor. Do not attempt to treat the condition without the advice of a podiatrist.

Have You Experienced Heel Pain?

Here are 3 treatments and remedies that can help you find relief.

1. Cold compress
Cold therapy can help to relieve inflamed heel tissue. One option is to apply a cloth-covered ice pack to your heel. You could also apply a cold compression pack to help keep the ice pack in place. Repeat the cold wrap application on an hourly basis while you’re awake.

2. Over-the-counter medications
Over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medications can help you relieve heel pain and discomfort. Examples of anti-inflammatory medications include the following:

• aspirin

• ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)

• naproxen sodium/naproxen (Aleve)

However, you shouldn’t take anti-inflammatory medications if you have kidney problems or a history of stomach bleeding and ulcers. While OTC acetaminophen may help to relieve pain, it does not have the same anti-inflammatory properties as the other medications.

3. Shoes and orthotics
Comfortable and well-fitting shoes can reduce the amount of pressure on the heel spur. This pressure can cause pain and discomfort. Here’s what to look for when evaluating a shoe for comfort when you have a heel spur:

Firm heel support: The back “counter” of the shoe should be firm in order to support the heel and prevent your foot from rolling inward or outward.
Moderate flexibility: A shoe shouldn’t be so easy to flex that it’s collapsible. However, the shoe should have a gradual bend that has some resistance when your foot is flexed or bent.
Slightly elevated heel: A heel insert or shoe that has a slightly elevated heel (no more than 1 inch high) can help take pressure off your painful heel.

You can also have custom orthotics (molded shoe inserts) made that will slip into your shoe. These orthotics are custom-designed to prevent your foot from rolling and provide extra heel support. They are made with a prescription from your podiatrist.

In many of our patients, symptoms persist for months to years prior to them seeking out professional advice. They try various home remedies from rolling a golf ball on their heel, stretching, wearing night splints, and avoiding all weight-bearing activities altogether.

Do you wake every morning with the hope that the first step won’t be painful?
Remember, Early diagnosis and intervention are important. A course of a non-invasive treatment plan is available and can be very successful. Talk to your podiatrist for treatment options.

Are You A Footwear Addict?

THE FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY SLOWLY EMERGED AND SLOWLY MADE THE LIVES OF HUMANS COMFORTABLE. 
 

Feet are the foundation of everyday lives. Every good foundation must have the right support. Most human lives are spent in shoes. Anyone can go out and buy a new pair of shoes based simply on how they look, but for the person who is always and always on their feet; good footwear is worth its weight in gold.

Footwear is one of those essential things that humans must have. Aside from it makes walking and running a lot comfortable and safe from any pricks and injuries, footwear makes our day-to-day activities possible.

Back in the old days, humans doesn’t even have any footwear which resulted in calluses, bruises, and other injuries to the feet. Walking for miles was quite painful and a challenge same goes when running.

How to choose the right shoe

Your podiatrist may advise on the type of shoe needed for an activity or sport. And they can properly fit the shoes to end up with the right size.

If you play a sport, it’s a good idea to wear shoes designed for that sport. There are specific shoes designed for tennis, golf, soccer, football, netball, running, cycling, and other sports. Each has a different design, material, and weight to best protect feet against the stresses of the particular activity.

A good tip when buying shoes is to take a tracing of your foot with you. If a shoe is narrower or shorter than the tracing, don’t even try it on

Apart from Footwear Technology, it is agreeable that choosing the right pair of shoes for your foot type can be hard! Talk to your Podiatrist.