Flat feet in children…
Just the other day a girlfriend of mine asked about her son’s flat feet. She was wondering whether he needed support now at the age of 3. She said that she knew that his feet were flat, but didn’t know if that meant he needed an Orthotic. I’m sure this is something a lot of other parents have wondered about…. So, I’m going to simplify the term “Flat feet” a bit further below and give you some guidelines around when it’s appropriate to intervene with an Orthotic.
Flat feet is the broad term used to describe a low arch profile. As Podiatrists, we look at whether the “flat feet” appearance presents as either a flexible condition or in a more rigid form. When flat feet are flexible your child’s arch will flatten out when weight bearing and lower to the floor. But remarkably, the arch appears to have a normal contour in non-weight bearing. A rigid presentation will remain consistently flat looking with or without load. I would recommend a rigid flat foot have a consultation with a Podiatrist, as the cause for this rigid flat foot needs to be established before intervention.
If your child has a flexible flat foot, then we need to figure out if their feet are impeding their ability to move in any way. Questions to ask…
Flat foot with Heel pain- 10 yr old boy.
Does my child complain when they are walking?
This can come in the form of “my legs are tired”, “I have sore feet”, if your child is unable to keep up with their peers in the playground, or even refusal to do sports or activities. All kids express pain in different ways, sometimes we need to put on our detective’s hat and look deeper into whether or not their behaviour is the result of pain.
How much physical activity is my child doing?
When their amount of exercise increases, some children that have flat feet may get sore legs and feet. When kids jump and run they put 3 to 5 times the normal force through their feet. When muscle tissue in their feet and legs don’t adapt well to this extra load, their feet can become sore and inflamed. Orthotic insoles can help the action of the foot and how it absorbs load.
Bigger Pain - Sever’s heel pain, shin splits, arch pain and knee pain are all an indication that your action of your child’s flat feet are causing further biomechanical issues and require orthotic insole support.
Genetic mapping is a thing!
Check out their feet and see if they look like yours or their other biological parent. If they do, think about your experience growing up and whether your flat feet needed Orthotic support. Do you have sore feet or knees now? What was your level of activity and exercise compared with that of your child? In these cases, some parents will chose to try and prevent possible pathologies (pain) with the inclusion of Orthotics in shoes.
What age is my child?
When our little ones first start walking their feet look like flat little pillows and have a big fatty pad cushioning the arch. Much of the foot’s bone mass still needs to mature and appearances can be deceiving. At this stage of growth orthotics are generally not warranted. By the time our child hits 3 years they are beginning to get a more normal gait pattern and introduce a heel strike. Parents can adapt the same guidelines as the above questions at this stage.
A child’s arch continues to develop in appearance well past their 7th birthday! Be aware that we can see postural changes of the leg and back associated with a flat foot type. To learn more about flat feet and our program to strengthen them click here. You can use the above steps to help decide if an orthotic is the right fit for them. If you have any further question please hit my contacts page and shoot me an email. X