Podopaediatrics is an area of podiatry focusing on the treatment of children and the various holistic afflictions that can affect a young person’s lower limbs. Proper care is important in the long term because unattended structural problems with the feet can worsen overtime, eventually causing severe issues with gait and pain. By correcting early foot deformities many long term chronic mobility issues can be safely and effectively addressed, sparing a great deal of discomfort on the part of the patient, and future expenses.

A Number of Different Foot Ailments can Affect Children

These can include structural issues with the foot like:

• Flat Feet
• Knock Knees
• In-Toeing / Pigeon Toed Gait
• Heel Pain (Sever’s Disease)
• Ingrown Toe Nails
• Plantar Warts (Verruca Pedis)
• Hypotonia (Low Muscle Tone)

A child’s foot is more at risk compared with an adult. Biomechanical abnormalities as a child can cause long term damage, this is because the foot is more malleable. Children tend to have a high pain threshold as they are easily distracted and ill-fitting footwear is also an issue when it comes to children’s foot health.