Many children feel pain in their feet as they grow for various reasons. If your child complains of foot pain, he may have growing pain in the heel bone, he may have a health problem with his feet such as flat feet, or he may be wearing shoes that don't fit properly. Foot and ankle pain is also common in children aged seven to eight years due to a lot of activity and running around every day. Before treating foot pain in children, it is important to identify the cause of the pain and get a diagnosis from a healthcare professional.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Identifying the Cause of the Pain
Step 1. Ask the child which part of the leg hurts
Ask the child to point to the part of the foot that feels very sore or painful. He or she may also feel pain in other parts of the leg, such as the knee, ankle, or calf muscles. Ask the child to point to the part specifically. This will help you determine if the pain is coming from the foot or leg, and the possible cause of the pain.
- If your child has heel pain, he or she may have Sever's disease. Sever's disease, also known as “heel pain” or heel pain in children, is caused by a disruption of the growth plates in the feet and is common in children who are active in sports, especially during the early stages of puberty.
- If your child complains of pain throughout the foot, including the ankle and calf muscles, he or she may have flat feet.
Step 2. Find out if the child's leg is injured
Falling on the foot, twisting the leg, hurting the foot when kicking, or being crushed by something can cause the leg to sprain, strain, bruise or fracture causing pain. See a doctor or go to the hospital if your child feels pain after hurting his leg or suddenly feels leg pain.
A limp is not always a sign of an injury to the foot. A limp in young children can result from pain from an injury to the pelvis, leg, or foot
Step 3. Be alert if the child complains of itching or feeling hot on the skin of the feet
Children may also complain of severe itching between the toes. The skin on the feet may look scaly, flaky, or dry, and the child may also feel like their feet are burning or irritated. These things are symptoms of water fleas. This skin disease is caused by a fungus that attaches to the feet due to exposure to fungus in swimming pools, gyms, changing rooms, or being contaminated with fungi from socks or clothes.
Water fleas are an uncomfortable skin condition and will get worse if not treated properly. It's best to take your child to the doctor. Your doctor will prescribe over-the-counter powders, ointments, and creams
Step 4. Check the child's shoes
Some children suffer from foot pain from running shoes that don't fit or shoes that are too tight. Check the inside of the shoe for sharp or rubbing parts on the child's feet.
Often, shoes that are too small can cause skin sores such as blisters and peeling of the skin on the feet. However, if your child feels pain in the muscles and joints in the legs, there may be a more serious problem with the feet
Step 5. Check for bunions or ingrown toenails
Bunions usually occur due to increased movement of the arch of the foot and look like lumps that arise from one side of the ball of the foot. Your child may inherit a genetic predisposition to bunions or have an undetected foot deformity at birth. If you suspect a bunion in your child's leg, take him to the pediatrician for treatment.
- To check whether your child's toenails are ingrown or not, check for red toes or sores on the skin around the nail and the area of skin where the nail is stuck. There are home remedies you can try to reduce the pain from this. But the best step is to take your child to the doctor for treatment.
- Also check if your child has fisheye, which is common in children and can cause pain when walking. A pediatrician, podiatrist, or skin specialist can treat fisheye.
Step 6. Check if the child is on tiptoe or limp
Ask the child to walk a few steps and pay attention to how he walks. If your child rests on his toes a lot or walks with a slight limp or a noticeable limp, he may be suffering from a common foot problem in children: childhood heel pain known as Sever's disease.
- Children's heel pain is caused by foot development, because the bones in the child's feet may move faster than the tendons and heel bones (the medical term is calcaneus). The growth discrepancy in the growth plate can result in weak back of the heel and pulling on the tendons of the foot. This puts more pressure on the growth plate and causes heel pain.
- If you suspect that your child may have heel pain, it is important to take him to a doctor who can refer him to a foot specialist or orthopedist. The doctor can examine your child's feet and provide treatment options. You may be referred to a foot and ankle surgeon for heel pain issues. Detecting your child's heel pain as early as possible is the best way to prevent prolonged foot pain and other foot problems.
Step 7. Note that the soles of the child's feet do not arch when standing with the soles of the feet on the floor
This is a symptom of flat feet, a foot problem that if severe or causes symptoms, requires professional treatment. Flat feet is an inherited condition that can result in other symptoms such as:
- Feet, legs, or knees are weak, cramped, and painful.
- Difficulty walking or limping when walking.
- It's hard to find shoes that are comfortable to wear.
- Lack of energy to perform physical activities that involve running, jogging, or sprinting.
Step 8. Take the child to the hospital if he can't stand up, or if his leg hurts from the injury or has a fever and limp
If your child is too sick to stand up, or if he has burning pain in his legs, go to the nearest hospital or clinic. Your child may have foot problems that need treatment as soon as possible.
Method 2 of 3: Using Home Remedies
Step 1. Purchase additional insoles for children's shoes
If you think the shoes are causing your foot pain, consider buying extra soft insoles for your child's shoes to make them feel more comfortable. Additional insoles help lift the child's heels and reduce minor foot pain such as sore or stiff feet.
If your child still complains of foot pain even after using extra insoles, get rid of them and replace them with more suitable shoes. Make sure your child wears running shoes that are suitable for sports or outdoor activities so that their feet are well supported during strenuous activities
Step 2. Try doing an R. I. C. E
If your child's feet are sore after exercising all day, you can try R. I. C. E: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. This helps reduce pain for a few hours or overnight. How to do R. I. C. E:
- Let your child rest his feet and legs by avoiding physical activity or strenuous activities.
- Place a pack of ice or a bag of chilled peas wrapped in a towel under the child's heel. Apply ice packs for 20-minute intervals, and wait 10 minutes at each interval before putting ice on your feet again.
- Put a compress bandage, such as an ACE bandage, on your child's leg to reduce swelling. The bandage must be strong but not hinder the circulation of blood to the child's feet.
- Elevate your child's feet by placing them on a pillow or some blankets. This helps reduce pain or swelling.
- Use over-the-counter painkillers if necessary. Pediatricians generally recommend ibuprofen for temporary pain relief.
Step 3. Get professional treatment if the pain doesn't go away after a few days
If you try home remedies and your child's foot pain doesn't go away, make an appointment with the doctor. A pediatrician or orthopedist can treat foot pain. In some cases, you may be referred to a foot and ankle surgeon or a podiatrist.
Podiatrists can identify the cause of foot pain in children and are specially trained to care for the growth plates, bones, and soft tissues in a child's developing foot
Step 4. Get an ointment for water fleas
If the doctor diagnoses your child with water fleas, the doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream or powder. Your child may have to treat the feet with an antifungal product for about four weeks and continue using this product for a week after the skin problem has cleared for the fungus to be completely eradicated.
We recommend that you replace the child's socks with socks that easily absorb moisture. This will prevent the growth of new mold that can cause water fleas. Children should avoid wearing shoes that block air circulation, such as vinyl, because they can cause excess moisture on the feet and encourage fungal growth
Method 3 of 3: Checking Your Child to a Podiatrist
Step 1. Allow the podiatrist to examine the child's feet
The podiatrist will ask the child to sit, stand, lift toes while standing, and stand on tiptoes. The doctor may also check if the heel tendon (Achilles tendon) is stiff and for calluses, warts, ingrown toenails, or sores on the soles of the feet.
- The podiatrist may ask if anyone in the family has flat feet or if there is a family history of nerve or muscle disease.
- The podiatrist may take X-rays of your child's feet so they can see the bone structure more clearly.
Step 2. Discuss treatment options with your doctor
Once the podiatrist has finished examining your child's feet, he or she will diagnose the cause of the pain. If your child's feet are flat, but not too severe, or if he has Sever's disease, or your child's heel pain, a podiatrist may recommend non-surgical treatments such as:
- Rest your feet and avoid activities that can cause pain until symptoms go away.
- Take over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Do stretching exercises to stretch the heel muscles on both feet.
- Wearing cushioned arch supports in children's shoes.
- Use an orthosis made specifically for children's shoes to balance the foot and support sensitive areas of the foot.
- Physical therapy to strengthen weak areas of the child's feet.
Step 3. Consider surgery if your child has severe flat feet
In some cases, flat feet in children cannot be corrected without surgery. The podiatrist will refer you to a foot surgeon who can explain the surgical procedure.
