Pediatric Foot and Ankle Podiatry

What You Need To Know About Pediatrics

A parent’s guide to common pediatric foot conditions and how we treat them.

Pediatric Podiatry Care for Growing Feet

At 1Foot 2Foot, we treat patients of all ages, including children. Whether your child has an ingrown toenail or any other condition, you can rest assured that their feet are in the hands of an expert foot doctor. Your child’s feet are unique because they’re still growing, so any issues that arise with them should be addressed as soon as possible.

Our pediatric podiatrists have significant experience treating a variety of foot and ankle conditions that arise while children and teenagers are still growing and physically developing. Whether your child needs help with a one-time injury or has an ongoing issue, we can provide expert care while ensuring that your child feels comfortable and relaxed throughout the treatment process.

Children commonly experience foot problems like heel pain, flat feet, ingrown toenails, and warts. Another common issue is Sever’s disease, growth plate inflammation in the heel, which is the most common of pediatric foot conditions, especially if your child is active in sports. With this condition, your child may complain about pain in the heel during and after a game or practice.

Active children are also more prone to flat feet, which can often cause pain in the feet and lower legs. Many general practitioners misdiagnose this problem as simply being “growing pains,” which is why we recommend that you see a foot doctor with your child in the event that he or she experiences any foot or ankle pain. If you’re concerned about a congenital deformity or a sports injury, schedule a visit so we can evaluate your child and answer your questions.

Pediatric Treatments We Offer

Custom orthotics are shoe inserts prescribed by your podiatrist. For children and teenagers, custom orthotics can help restore correct foot and ankle posture during the critical years of physical development. They are often needed early in development for correcting abnormal flat feet and intoeing problems, and their use can prevent complications in the future.

For ingrown toenails, we can trim and clean your child’s nail, and in the case of infection, help get your child’s foot health back on track. When the toenail cuts into the surrounding skin, your child may experience mild discomfort or pain, and if left untreated, it can lead to infection with redness, swelling, and possible pus or drainage. We can also help you identify possible causes so you can take steps to prevent a reoccurrence.

When you bring your child in for treatment of foot pain, ankle pain, or even leg pain, we won’t just treat the symptoms; we will seek the underlying cause and work toward a permanent solution whenever possible. Common types of pain we treat include heel pain, shin splints, painful sports injuries, and pain caused by an abnormal gait.

If you have concerns about the way your child walks, a gait consultation may be in order. Signs of an abnormal gait include flat feet, toe walking, in-toeing, out-toeing, lifting the leg from the hip instead of the knee, uneven weight bearing or limping, frequent trips or falls, and pain while walking. Bring your child in and we’ll build a treatment plan tailored to their development.