Depending on the level of pain your child is experiencing, the doctor may also order imaging tests to view the inner workings of your child's feet. During your child's evaluation appointment, the doctor will also observe how your child walks, runs, stands and tip toes.
This can help to determine where the foot pain is occurring. You will usually be asked to bring the shoes your child wears most often in order to examine the wear patterns. How are problems with flat feet diagnosed? The types of pain your child may be experiencing are: Your doctor will consider how intense the pain is, when the pain occurs, such as during certain activities such as walking, running or stretching.
The key symptom that your child's flat feet may be causing an issue, is pain. What are the signs and symptoms of flat feet problems? Your child should see a foot specialist if they're experiencing pain and/or their pediatrician recommends further testing. It is not always clear why this happens, but reasons flat feet may develop include:ĭiseases that cause muscle or nerve damage, such as peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or muscular dystrophyĬonditions of the feet that can injure foot tissue, such as osteoarthritisĬonditions present at birth, such as excess laxity of joint capsules and ligaments, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome Infants and young children naturally have flat feet. Sometimes, doctors will recommend inserting arch supports into shoes to reduce foot pain. Parents sometimes worry that flatfeet will make their kids clumsier than other kids, but doctors say that being flatfooted isn't a cause for concern and shouldn't interfere with playing sports. Rigid flat feet can cause problems, such as pain, and should be treated. Most flat feet are flexible, rarely cause problems and usually don't require treatment. Parents often first notice this because their child has what they describe as "weak ankles" (which appear to turn inward because of the way the feet are planted). It is often associated with the lower part of the legs being angled outwards. A flat foot is a foot that has lost or never developed this arch. Feet usually have an arch on the inside portion of the foot. Most babies are born with flat feet and develop arches as they grow. But if your child or teen has been diagnosed with pain as a result of flat feet, our pediatric-trained orthopedic specialists are experts in caring for the feet of children and teens. As your child grows, they may continue to have flat feet, without experiencing any issues. Most babies and toddlers have flat feet because the muscles and tendons that form the arches haven't developed yet.
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