My child complains of foot and leg pain, and when walking their arches don’t look quite right. When should I have my child’s feet checked?

This is one of the most common questions that I hear from parents. Many parents look at their child’s feet and wonder if their feet are too flat, too high arched or different in some other way. Feet come in all shapes and sizes, and “normal” can mean many things. The following are great reasons to get a foot examination.

• The child is complaining of foot, ankle or leg pain.
• The child is complaining that feet are “tired” with normal activity
• The child is prone to tripping or is unable to keep up with other children at play.
• The feet do not look the same as each other especially if associated with pain.

The vast majority of kids have “normal” feet. Even feet that appear “flat” may never pose a problem or keep a child from doing activities. Foot structure also changes over time and most young children that have flat appearing feet that are not painful can develop a normal arch with time. A rigid, nonflexible, flat foot is much more likely to be problematic. This can be caused by an abnormal fusing of bones within the foot. This is called a “tarsal coalition.” On the other side of the spectrum are “high” arched feet, a condition called pes cavus. This condition can cause pain and may warrant treatment.

The foot is a dynamic and complex marvel of engineering that transmits body weight to the ground while propelling the body forward and providing balance. When something is wrong with the structure of the foot it is not able to handle standing and moving, causing pain and fatigue to develop. Therefore, the primary goal of treatment for abnormal foot types is to support or restore foot structure which allows for optimal function.

Some feet can be treated with supportive shoes or with activity modification. The mainstay in treatment for abnormal foot type is with functional orthoses. A functional orthosis is a rigid support that is worn within a normal shoe which supports the structure of the foot. This decreases uneven forces passing through the foot, which in turn improves function and decreases pain. In the setting of extreme deformity, reconstructive surgery may be the best option to change the structure of the foot and improve function.

Foot pain and fatigue should never limit a child from being happy and active.   Feel free to call our office at (812) 372-6274 to schedule a consultation.

Ansgar Olsen DPM, PhD