Paediatric podiatry is the area of podiatry, which diagnoses and treats foot problems in children and adolescents.
When should I take my child to a podiatrist?
Ideal for preventive check is in the age of 4 years (or afterwards). In this age the child has already established an own walking pattern (gait).
There are a number of symptoms that make us suspect about a presence of a pathology which demand to conduct a review of the gait of your child:
- It often complains about pain in the heels, knees or legs
- It often falls
- It diverts one or both feet when walking
- It walks with the feet inward
- It walks on the toes or ball of the foot
- It complains of itching or burning sensation in the feet, toes and nails
- He complains of itching or stinging in his feet, fingers or nails
- It presents some alteration in the toes placement
In general, if the problem is related to gait disturbances or muscle pain, a biomechanical study shall be done:
- Exploration of the biomechanics through clinical tests in which the state of the ankle, knee, hip and the spine are tested
- Computerized study of the tread and the gait by the help of a pressure sensitive Platform.
The biomechanical assessment duration is approximately ¾ hour and at the end a comprehensive colour printed report with the diagnosis, the prognosis and a treatment plan is issued.