Is Your Child's Foot Pain Holding Them Back? Compassionate Foot Care for Children

Is Your Child's Foot Pain Holding Them Back?

Does your child:

• Sit on the sidelines while their friends are playing
• Complain of foot, ankle, or heel pain
• Ask to be carried after only a short walk
• Trip and fall more than usual
• Stop doing activities they once loved

These can all be signs of a foot or ankle problem. 

Kids Often Don't Grow Out of Foot Problems

It's a common phrase. "Your child will just grow out of it"! While sometimes that's the case, it's often not true, particularly if you've struggled with your own flat feet, plantar fasciitis, bunions, or back pain. If your child is suffering, there's a strong chance they've inherited your foot type. 

Young people's feet are particularly at risk for podiatric problems during the years that they're developing rapidly, and with kids taking an average of 12,000 to 16,000 steps daily, every day, without proper treatment, allows problems to get worse.

Untreated Foot Conditions in Kids Can Cause Problems With:

• Physical and social development
• Quality of life
• Ability to participate in sports
• Overall confidence 
• Increased risk of long-term foot and musculoskeletal conditions

Gentle and Highly-Skilled Pediatric Podiatry Care in North Seattle

Let Me Help You!

I understand exactly what you're going through. Over the past 40 years, I've helped hundreds of families identify the cause of their children's foot issues with conservative and gentle treatments.  

Why Families Seek Dr. Berg for Treatment of Their Kids' Feet

• 40+ years of podiatric expertise working with kids
• Gentle and caring, he's able to connect well with children
• Raised 3 children and has 2 grandchildren
• Uses techniques to reduce pain with certain procedures like ingrown toenails and plantar warts

Expert Treatment for Children's Foot Conditions in North Seattle

Here's a look at some of the most common pediatric foot and ankle conditions we treat:

• Ingrown Toenails. Caused by skin that grows over the edges of a nail or a nail that grows into the skin itself, ingrown toenails are a painful condition that can lead to infection and other complications. Toenail trauma, tight shoes, improper toenail cutting, and inherited tendencies are risk factors.
• Warts. Strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) invade the skin through cuts, cracks, and other vulnerabilities in the skin's surface, resulting in hard, grainy growths that can bleed and spread into clusters when scratched. Early treatment is necessary to prevent warts from becoming painful.
• Sever's Disease. When the tendon attached to the back of the heel pulls on the heel plate, heel pain can result. Though children can develop plantar fasciitis, which also causes heel pain, Sever's disease is often a more likely cause.
• Overuse and Sports Injuries. Children who are exceptionally active or play sports can develop overuse injuries like strains, sprains, Achilles tendonitis, stress fractures, and other painful issues. Many young athletes try to "play through the pain," but doing so can worsen injuries and prolong recovery. Prompt evaluation allows many conditions to be treated before they become season-ending problems. 
• Plantar fasciitis and Heel Pain.  Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue on the bottom of the feet, plantar fasciitis is characterized by heel pain that's worse in the morning, or after standing or sitting for long periods. It's also one of the most common reasons children begin limping after soccer, basketball, or other running sports. It should never be ignored simply because a child is still able to play.
• Developmental Flatfoot. Your child will not grow out of developmental flatfoot, and it needs to be treated. Depending on the age of your child, we may decide to cast them for custom orthotics to align their feet. However, for younger children with rapidly growing feet, we'll recommend specially designed orthotics called Little Steps®. Little Steps® are an affordable option for treating kids with flat feet. As your kids' feet grow we'll replace their orthotics with a larger size. While many children with flat feet have no symptoms, pain during sports or everyday activities deserves evaluation. 
• Fungal Toenails. Kids can also develop athlete's foot and fungal toenails if they don't take the following precautions.
• • Wear socks made of breathable materials that also wick away moisture-socks made of synthetic materials are best. Avoid cotton socks.
  • Make sure kids wear clean socks every day.
  • Kids should rotate their shoes so they can allow them to completely dry out.
  • Kids need to be taught to properly clean and dry their feet.
  • Kids should wear flip-flops in locker and shower rooms to avoid these infections. 

We also treat growing pains, pain in the balls of the feet, amniotic band syndrome, tarsal coalition, digital abnormalities, and many other conditions.

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Don't Let Your Child Play Through Foot Pain

Children are incredibly resilient, and many young athletes will continue playing even when their feet hurt. Some worry about letting down their team, while others assume the pain is simply part of playing sports.

Unfortunately, ignoring foot pain can allow a minor injury to become a much more serious problem. Conditions such as heel pain, stress fractures, tendon injuries, or growth plate injuries such as Sever's disease, often become harder to treat when children continue participating without proper evaluation.

When to Bring Your Child To A Podiatrist

Here are some other signs in children that may indicate the need for a podiatric evaluation:

• Unable to keep up with peers
• Doesn't want to show you their feet
• Your child has unusual walking patterns
• Your child has pain in their lower legs

In children 5 years of age and younger, also watch for issues like flat feet, toe-walking, in-toeing/out-toeing, lack of coordination, and poor balance. As your children get older, keep an eye out for knee, shin, or heel pain; poor posture or knocked knees; stress fractures; and ankle pain or instability.

How to Buy Shoes for Your Kids

One of the most important things you can do for your kid's feet is to buy them the right shoes at the right time. Kids' feet grow fast. It can be challenging to keep up with your kid's growth spurt and their need for new clothes and shoes. Keep in mind that kids' feet can grow two sizes in 6 months when they're young. Here's what to do:

• Buy your kids' shoes at a shoe store - while it's more convenient to purchase them online, it's best to have a shoe professional evaluate their needs.
• Get their feet measured - there should be one thumb's width from the end of their big or longest toe and the end of their shoe. If one foot is longer than the other, then buy the larger size.
• Shoes should feel comfortable immediately-don't rely on a breaking-in period.
• Select a sturdy, supportive shoe with shoelaces, Velcro, or straps for sandals. Check out my video below to learn how to test shoes.
• Check the wear patterns on your kid's current pair of shoes. Usual wear patterns may indicate the need to see a podiatrist.