At Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center we find that most children’s podiatric issues result either from poor hygiene habits or overuse injuries related to sports activities. One of the difficulties in diagnosing and treating children is that they are not always able to articulate their symptoms or even identify the source of discomfort. Look for these indicators that your child may be experiencing foot or ankle pain:

• Limping or walking or running in an abnormal way.
• Not wanting to participate in sports or other active pursuits that they normally enjoy.
• Complaints of tiredness.
• An increased frequency of trips and falls.

If your child is showing any of these signs inspect their feet completely (but gently—the cause of the pain may be internal). If you notice anything unusual or you don’t see anything but it’s clear that something is wrong with your child’s feet, make an appointment at our Long Beach office so that one of our podiatrists, Dr. Victoria Foley or Dr. Constance Omelas can do a complete podiatric exam.

Practice Safe Sports

You can help prevent injuries and conditions caused by overuse by ensuring that your child has the correct shoes for the sport they are doing and that the shoes fit properly. When children are young it’s likely that they will need a new pair of shoes each season. Have your child’s feet professionally measured and don’t let them wear hand me down sports shoes. Be sure that children warm up and stretch before practices and games and that the conditioning program they are doing allows days of rest between workouts. Heel pain from plantar fasciitis or Sever’s Disease and Achilles tendonitis are some foot conditions that can be caused by too much repetitive activity from a sport or exercise program.

Teach Your Child Healthy Foot Habits

Plantar warts, athlete’s foot, fungal toenails and ingrown nails are also conditions that children commonly experience. These can be avoided if your child follows some simple rules:

• Let mom or dad trim nails appropriately—don’t peel nails or pull them off.
• Wear shower shoes or flip-flops at the town pool and when in gym locker rooms—fungal and bacterial infections are spread by direct contact.
• Don’t share shoes, socks, towels, nail files or any other items that touch someone else’s foot.

If you have questions about your children’s feet, contact us by calling: 562-420-9800.