What Are The Most Common Pediatric Foot Problems?

Children seem to have endless amounts of energy. Whether playing sports or running around with friends, children are always on the move. Their activity levels can drop, however, if they suffer an injury or are experiencing pain in their feet. At Sound Foot Care, our team knows a parent never wants to see their child struggle due to a health condition. When you want your child to receive the best possible care for common pediatric foot problems, our podiatrist in Smithtown will help to provide you with quality care.  

Heel Pain

Heel pain is a common foot problem for children, and there are a variety of conditions that can catalyze this pain. For active children between the ages of 8 and 14, Sever’s disease could be a likely culprit. Adolescents dealing with Sever’s will experience pain along within the growth plate in their heel. This pain is the result of a strain on their Achilles’ tendon. Two other potential causes of heel pain may include the following:

• Plantar fasciitis.
• Tightness in the calf muscles and Achilles tendons due to growth spurts.

Plantar Warts

Plantar warts can give off the misleading appearance of ordinary corns and calluses. However, they are skin lesions that form as a result of exposure to the HPV virus. To help determine the difference, our podiatrist in Smithtown recommends looking for tiny black dots within the lesion, which is the calling card of plantar warts. These lesions tend to form on the soles of the feet and they may become irritated or painful due to walking. They are also extremely contagious, spreading from skin to skin contact. To prevent a minor outbreak in your household, be sure to seek treatment promptly if your child develops these warts.     

Ingrown Toenails  

This condition can cause extreme discomfort for your child. An ingrown toenail takes place when the outer portion of the nail begins to dig into the surrounding skin. Aside from just pain, ingrown toenails can quickly become infected, complicating the situation. To limit the chances of this from happening, our podiatrist in Smithtown suggests doing the following:

• Always wear shoes that fit properly.
• Leave your nails at a moderate length.
• Always trim your nails straight across.

Flat Feet

Flat feet are a normal condition for infants and toddlers, as their arches are still developing. However, if their feet remain flat during their adolescence, it could pose a problem. Flat feet can cause both pain and issues with walking. Our podiatrist in Smithtown can create custom orthotics for your child to give their feet the support needed to help eliminate the chances of flat feet development

Sound Foot Care

At Sound Foot Care, our team has been serving our patients for over 20 years. Throughout his tenure, our podiatrist in Smithtown has seen and treated many of the standard pediatric foot problems a child could face. When one begins to affect your child, you can trust our team to administer the care they deserve. If you’re looking for the highest quality of treatment, make sure you contact our team today!