3 Tips to Help Care for Kid’s Feet
Feet pain can happen at any age, it can be due to basic wear and tear, or other underlying causes such as flat feet. For children, feet are also one of the fastest growing body parts. Children’s feet experience rapid growth, so that they can support increasing body weight and size. In addition, physical activities can contribute to children complaining of pain and aches on the feet. Here are some pointers to help you look after your children's feet, and detect any problems that might need early intervention.
Selecting Footwear
Because children grow so quickly, you may be tempted to buy cheap shoes that offer no support. For active kids, it certainly pays to invest in a good pair of school and sports shoes. If you anticipate that your child will be in that shoe for a long time, pay more for it. When you are replacing your child's shoes, check the wear at the bottom of the shoe. Uneven wear can be a sign that your children roll their feet when they walk. When that happens, come in and we can help your child adjust his walking, so that you get a longer wear from new shoes.
Tripping and Falling Children
It is not uncommon to have children tripping and falling all over when they are young, as they are still trying to learn how to coordinate their body movements. But as they get older, tripping and falling over themselves happen less often, to none at all. If your child is not walking symmetrically as well, it might be time to schedule a visit. We can assess if your child is wearing the correct shoes, as well as doing gait analysis to make sure that your child is walking properly. It is worth checking it out if you are worried about other issues, but ruling out the feet can be your first step.
Feet Pain
You might be used to hearing your child complain about their feet hurting, especially when you are doing shopping. But if your child has been complaining of heel pain after sporting activities, or other specific feet complains, come in for a visit. From eight years old, children can suffer from heel pain, one of the reasons being Sever's Disease. Aside from pain, your child maybe limping or trying to find ways to minimise the pain when walking.
Children's feet are growing feet, hence it is important to make sure that they grow properly. One of the benefits of children's feet, is that they can be fixed easily early on. Once the bones set in teenage or adulthood, some problems might be harder to address. So, if you have any concerns about your child's feet, contact us to make an appointment.