Paediatric Podiatry (kids)
Tarsal Coalition
Tarsal Coalitions are a rare cause of pain in a childs’ foot. They result from a failure of the body to achieve normal skeleton growth. The cause begins in-utero when the foot of the foetus is developing. The cells do not divide properly and a “fusion” occurs. Coalitions can be between 2 or more of any of the bones of the
Os-Good Schlatters (Kids)
Os-Good Schlatters disease causes pain in the adolescence. Your child will usually feel pain at the front and bottom half of the knee. Pulling on the growth plate by the muscles of the thigh is what causes the pain. A growth plate is an area of the maturing skeleton where the bone has a line of cartilage where the growing
Severs Disease (Kids)
Severs Disease is a Paediatric condition of the heel. It occurs while the maturing skeleton moves from a cartilage growth centre to bone. The growth plate is essentially made up of cartilage which is like the tip of your nose. It is soft and bendable. As the heel is converted to bone it hardens becoming rigid and non flexible. If
Paediatric Flat Feet (kids)
Flat feet is a complaint that we often see in our clinics. There are a number of reasons why children have flat feet and this can vary depending on their age and foot morphology (Shape and structure). For a period after your child is born and starts walking, flat feet is a normal appearance. This is partly due to most
Toe walking (Kids)
Toe walking is when your child occasionally or always spends the majority of their time up on there tip toes with little or no heel contact. This is never a normal part of the gait cycle. It is caused by a number of reasons, each with it’s own treatment option. Often Toe walking is habitual, copying another child or sibling,
Warts
Warts are a contagious skin lesion caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are several different strains of HPV, each with different areas of the body they affect. The strains that cause Warts or Verrucae’s being benign. Contracting a Wart is surprisingly easy, all it takes is a break/scratch in the skin. The wart virus is very resistant and can
Stress Fractures
Did you know there are 26 bones in your foot? Together both your feet account for 1/4 of the bones in your body. Bones, contrary to popular belief, are very much alive and are constantly changing. If we do more activity they get thicker and stronger, less so the less we do. Because of this dynamic remodelling of the bone,
In-toeing / Pigeon toes
In toeing is a condition where your child walks with their feet turned in towards the other foot; this may not happen with every step. This is generally considered to be abnormal. In-toeing is caused by the hips and knees rotating inwards making the foot and leg circumduct (swing in a semi-circle) while your child walks. This is an inefficient way
Ingrown / Involuted / Painful Nails
Ingrown nails can be a painful and unsightly condition caused by a variety of factors. Any side of any toe can be affected, however generally it is the big toe nails that are the culprit. There are several mechanisms for an ingrown nail to occur and frequently these are: Ill fitting shoes Incorrect cutting technique Poor range of movement through
Limb Length Difference
A difference in the length of the bones between your legs can happen for a variety of reasons. Growth plate trauma Muscle imbalance Muscle tightness Scoliosis Hip tilt Genetic conditions Surgery Natural asymmetry This results in either a structural difference in the length of the bones. Or from soft tissue restrictions/tightness that cause the shortening of one limb compared to