Child Related Issue

Hello everyone!

I am Dr. Pallavi Singh. I am a physiotherapist for 14 years and I am practicing podiatry for the past 9 years. Podiatry is a field or branch which focuses on the lower limb. So what we do is, we assess people from various walks of life having issues with their foot. The most important section of it is the kids. The kids are our future so where our future is lying. Many a time we see that there are certain kids who are very good, very agile. They are running, jumping, doing well. But there are certain kids who are not being able to compete with them. They are falling, they are getting injuries, they are tripping. There are various reasons for this but one of the most common reason is flat foot.

A flat foot is not a physiological disease or a problem. It's just a structural issue. Certain kids after certain age start developing arches, certain kids does not develop the arches. Arches are important for having a proper bio-mechanics and it gives better shock absorption. So by the age of 5 years, kids should have a good arc. If it is still not developed and they are having issues with running and they are lazy, lacking behind, they don't want to get into physical activity then it can cause other health issues. Childhood obesity is already on the rise. So we as a responsible parent can take a call early in life and we can get the feet corrected. Kids from the age of 5 to 7 years are acceptable to all ortho therapy. Orthotics are nothing but special insert or a customized insole is inserted in the school shoes. So while you are buying the school shoes there are certain things you have to be cautious about.

Choose the shoes which are a proper size for them. Don't think that the kids are of growing age, so after 3 months or 6 months, we will have to change their shoes. Whenever you are buying the shoes it is as per the foot size. Only one finger gap should be there between the toe and the end of the shoes which is there for giving a little movement inside the shoes. If you buy one or two bigger size shoes then the archers are bound to get more flatten over the period of time rather than getting proper support. So the shoe size is important and necessary while you're buying it for your kids. Choose a shoe with proper size, with good stability for them. Even after that many time we see the kids are having difficulty in running, their knees go inside. So what we do is, we get these insole customized to them which help in creating a normal angle of the knee towards the foot and that helps in reducing the stress over the knee joint. Otherwise, the knee gets rubbed off and they can have issues when they go into adoloscent or later age of life. So for the better future, we have to act today.

Thank you!