5 Signs That Your Kids Need To Visit A Podiatrist

Kids rely on their feet and legs more as they grow older, especially during their teenage years.

That’s why at this stage, it’s paramount that you take care of their feet more and look for irregularities.

Taking care of their feet now would help not only during this stage but also in the future.

After all, these two feet will be their main support throughout their entire lifetime That’s why it’s only right to take care of them now.

One of the best ways to maintain your kids’ feet is to bring them to a podiatrist whenever you notice some tell-tale signs of irregularities on their feet,

Below are only some of them.  

1. Growth spurts

As your kids grow bigger and older, they may experience pains mainly in the legs. These growing pains are called growth spurts.

Growth spurts in teenage kids happen because at this stage, almost their entire body grows faster but the other parts, for example, their lower body, are having a hard time keeping up.  

Your kids may experience these growing pains especially during and after participating in physical activity.

To help your kids manage the pain, you can massage their feet and legs lightly. But if the pain doesn’t stop, bring your kids to a podiatrist for a consultation.

A podiatrist will help you and your kids manage the pain and, eventually make them disappear altogether.

2. Intoeing

Intoeing is a foot condition that is characterised by the inward turning of the feet when walking or running. This condition commonly happens to kids and they are also often called pigeon-toed.

This is an early warning sign that your kid needs to get checked by a podiatrist.

During the assessment, the foot doctor might ask you a couple of questions about your pregnancy, delivery, and physical development as any of these could have caused the intoeing.

This is also the podiatrist’s way to understand your kid’s condition better.

Once your kid is assessed, the podiatrist will move on to the treatment. The foot doctor may try to change your kid’s posture, and replace his or her everyday shoes.

Most importantly, your kid might need to do certain exercises regularly to help treat the intoeing.

3. Tiptoeing

Normal kids walk or run with their feet flat on the ground. So if you observe your kid tiptoeing, as in walking or running without his or her heels touching the floor, that’s when you need to bring your kid to a podiatry clinic.

Tiptoeing is a condition that is believed to be the result of some developmental issues. Also, its often associated with other conditions like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and autism.

In some cases, surgery might be needed to correct the tiptoeing. Bring your kid to a podiatrist asap so you would be advised on what to do.

4. Increased tripping

Tripping is very likely to happen every time your kid plays and jumps around. It’s certainly normal!

However, what’s not normal is when your kids trip all the time. Even if he or she doesn’t run wildly. Increased tripping in kids is one of the tell-tale signs of weak muscles and joints.

If a kid has weak muscles and joints, the whole body has weak support as well, hence the tripping.  

If tripping happens a lot to your kids, it might be wise to seekhttps://watsoniapodiatry.com.au/service-areas/ asap for proper assessment.

5. Ingrown nails

Ingrown nails are very common in adults. However, it’s not common in children. So if you notice ingrown nails in your kids, something could be wrong.  

Ingrown nails are caused by a strong impact on your kids’ toes, like a heavy object falling directly on their feet. Sometimes, it’s also caused by cutting the nails badly or wearing shoe sizes that are too small for their feet.

If you notice ingrown nails on your kids, have them checked by podiatrists as soon as possible.  Not only is it painful for your children, but it could also cause infections.