Children’s Foot Care

We provide treatment for foot and ankle issues for patients of all ages, including children. When it comes to children’s foot care, we find that some issues tend to be more common than others. By understanding the common child foot injuries and conditions, you can easily recognize when your son or daughter needs medical care.

Common Children’s Foot Injuries

• Pediatric flatfoot. Flatfoot should not be an area of concern unless the condition is causing painful symptoms or keeping your child from doing his or her favorite activities.
• Ingrown toenails. Any individual who has nails could develop ingrown toenails, but it is more common when children wear shoes that are too tight or small, or when their nails are trimmed too short or rounded.
• Plantar warts. Kids sometimes love sharing with one another, including strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause warts. Our office can provide treatment to remove these viral growths.
• Sever’s disease. A difference in the rates of growth between the heel bone and its connective tissue can lead to heel pain for adolescents. There are usually no long-term issues and treatment centers on relieving existing symptoms.
• Sports injuries. Kids and adolescents in our Oklahoma City community benefit from participating in organized sports, but injuries can and do happen—both during athletic practices or in competitions. We have much experience treating these injuries and will get your child back to playing as soon as it is safely possible.

Treatment Options

We always try to treat patients with the use of conservative, nonsurgical methods, but this especially holds true for children. The good news is that many of these common child foot issues are treated effectively without the need for surgical intervention. Some of the methods that we may include in your son or daughter’s treatment plan might include:

• RICE method. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation can be quite effective to relieve painful symptoms, lower levels of inflammation, and help the body perform its natural healing processes.
• It is important to always check with our office for the best types of pain relievers and dosage recommendations, but they can be especially helpful for relieving pain and inflammation.
• Orthotic devices. Customized orthotic devices can be used as a highly-effective treatment tool for a wide range of issues. When we prepare orthotics, they are crafted to work in a specific manner with your child’s unique feet.
• As noted, we will take every measure possible to treat a young patient’s condition with the use of nonsurgical care, but sometimes surgical procedures are necessary. When this is the case, you can find comfort in the knowledge that your son or daughter is in the hands of skilled, expert foot surgeon who has your child’s health firmly in mind.

Foot and Ankle Injury Prevention Tips

We love knowing that we were able to help a child heal from a foot or ankle condition, but even better is knowing that an issue was prevented from happening in the first place. There are several measures that can be taken to help reduce the risk of foot or ankle problems. Some top preventive foot care measures include:

• Shoes – Remember, shoes need to be appropriate for the activity a child does and fit correctly.
• Weight management – There are many benefits from encouraging your son or daughter to participate in physical activities, including keeping his or her weight in a normal range. This will lead to less stress on the feet and ankles.
• Stretches – Sever’s disease is not necessarily preventable, but a regular stretching routine can keep your child’s Achilles tendons and calf muscles limber, which will help.

Professional Foot and Ankle Care for OKC Children

When your child is experiencing pain from a foot or ankle condition, we know that you will want him or her to have first-class child foot care services. Our foot doctors are ready to provide that care for your son or daughter, so make sure to schedule your appointment so we can address the issue at its earliest stage and relieve painful symptoms as soon as possible. Contact Foot and Ankle Center of Oklahoma by calling (405) 418-2676 for more information or to schedule an appointment.