Kids’ Feet

Heel Pain (Sever’s Disease)

Sever’s disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis) is the most common cause of heel pain among active children. It mostly affects children ages 10 to 14 years.

This condition is an inflammation of the growth plate in the heel of growing children. Playing sports and other activities that involve a lot of heel or weight-bearing movements such as running or jumping are the cause of this disease.

Symptoms

Sever’s disease can affect one or both heels and pain can be felt at the back and side of the heel bone.

In some cases, pain can be so debilitating that it causes a child to limp.

Treatment

This condition will generally go away once the two bony parts in the calcaneus have joined together which usually occurs around the age of 16.

To reduce strain, our podiatrists may suggest orthotics for your child.

Other treatment may include:

• Suggestions for alternative options on sporting activities
• Footwear advice
• Strengthening exercises to reduce pull from the calf muscles
• Stretching exercises for calf and hamstring muscles
• Post care after activity

If your child complains of general pain in the heel or arch, our caring podiatrist will take a look and determine whether or not the pain is related to the development process or footwear.
For more information on general heel pain click here

Ingrown Toenails

This condition is quite common among children. There are various factors that can lead to ingrown toenails such as:

• Tight shoes and/or tight socks
• Incorrect nail cutting technique cutting them either too short or not enough
• Picking at the nails making them too short
• Improper grooming of the nails
• Certain medications can increase the risk of ingrown toenails due to the skin’s sensitivity and fragility associated with a medication’s ingredient

Symptoms of an ingrown toenail are pain, redness or swelling around the affected toe. This may lead to an infection and it is important to remember that it must be treated as quickly as possible.

For ingrown toenails, book an online appointment to have our caring podiatrists treat the ingrown toenail so your child can be pain-free again.

Plantar Warts

Warts are caused by a group of viruses called HPV (Human Papilloma Viruses). They can occur anywhere on the skin.

Plantar warts grow on the plantar or bottom surface of the foot and they tend to be found in areas of pressure such as the heel and ball of the foot. All warts are contagious and can be picked up through skin-to-skin contact.

The virus thrives in warm moist areas so you will find that sports carnival is where kids are likely to pick it up. Mainly because of public showers, swimming pools and changing rooms are breeding grounds for this virus.

If your child feels like they have stepped on a pebble or a shard of glass then it is a good chance they may have a wart.

Our podiatrist can treat the wart and also provide education so your child can avoid this in future.