Children’s Assessments
Children’s feet are different to that of an adult’s foot because they are constantly growing and changing. Pain in Feet/Legs may develop during the growth of a child. Conditions such as developmental flatfoot, intoeing (pigeon feet), toe walking, foot and leg pain due to growth spurt, warts, ingrown nails etc. are common foot pathologies seen in children.
Paediatric assessments determine abnormalities and anomalies in younger patients and involve careful examination of walking and gait patterns that are not considered normal like in the instance if the child has an intoeing or out-toeing gait, flatfeet, knocked knees or trip over frequently. The younger the child, the better they are to be corrected and benefit from treatment.
It is recommended to see the Podiatrist for a Paediatric Assessment if parents notice the following signs & symptoms in their children:
Problematic symptoms we may see include:
- Severe in-toeing or pigeon-toed gait
- Toe walking
- Excessive shoe wear
- Flat feet beyond the age of 4/5 years
- Ongoing heel or knee pain
- Regular tripping or unstable on their feet
- Stiffness/ decreased range of motion in the foot
- Abnormally shaped toes
- Bunions or other deformities
- Chronic Ingrown toenails
