Conditions Treated

Children are naturally active and activity is something we all encourage in our children. Children are naturally active and activity is something we all encourage in our children. However, sometimes children experience problems with their feet and lower limbs. Some of the common problems that children may suffer from are:

• Flat feet
• Toeing in or toeing out
• Toe walking
• Heel Pain – Severs' disease
• Knee pain – Osgood-schlatters disease
• Knock knees
• Ingrown toenails
• Sprained ankles
• Warts

If you are concerned about your child’s walking or they are complaining of tired or aching legs and feet; or even pain, then get some advice from your podiatrist. Griffith Foot Clinic understands the importance of keeping children healthy and active. So come and see us for some friendly professional advice and treatment. We commit to providing treatment options and pain relief.

Flat feet in children: Most feet have an arch on the inside of the foot; however, some children have flat feet, also known as fallen arches or pes planus. Often children with flat feet have family members with flat feet too. All babies and most toddlers appear to have flat feet due to their “baby fat” which disguises the developing arch. Flexible flat feet are considered normal at these developmental ages, however children who have rigid or stiff flat feet may have a more serious problem. The arch on the inside of the foot may begin to develop at age 2 and should be developed by age 7.Flat feet can limit athletic ability in children and sometimes can cause pain or a tired feeling in the legs. Treatment options for flat feet in children varies; from no treatment being required, to footwear advice and sometimes orthotics. Come and see Griffith Foot Clinic for a realistic diagnosis and treatment options to suit your budget.

Flat feet in adults: Flat feet, or fallen arches, are a fairly common foot condition, affecting an estimated 20-30% of the general population. Just like the name suggests, flat feet are diagnosed when the arch of the foot is collapsed so the whole foot rests flat on the ground. About 10% of the population have inherited flat feet while the rest of the cases are acquired through the environment. Having misaligned, flat or tired feet rapidly promotes the stress that is placed on other joints such as the ankle, knee and hip. This is because these joints try to ‘pick up the slack’ left by the misaligned, flat or tired feet. The main cause for concern is over pronation (foot rolling inwards). This can result in uneven weight distribution when running or walking and can result in arch, ankle, knee or leg pain. Flat feet in adults cannot be cured, but the pronation can be reduced by customised orthotics (insoles) and/or good footwear. Good footwear and/or orthotics provide support for the foot and encourage correct foot function, the foot will rest more naturally on the ground hence reducing pronation and reducing the stress on the ankle, knee and leg. If you are concerned about your flat feet, come and see Griffith Foot Clinic for customised orthotics (insoles) and footwear advice. Griffith Foot Clinic has solutions to suit your problem, book an appointment today.

Heel and arch pain can affect men and women of all ages. The most common forms of heel pain are Plantar Fasciosis, and Sever’s Disease.

This heel pain, which is called the plantar fascia, commonly causes pain when getting out of bed in the morning. It often recurs throughout the day especially after rest and prolonged movement.

The Griffith Foot Clinic uses various treatment options for plantar fasciosis, ranging from rest, strapping, stretching exercises, anti-inflammatory medication to orthotics. In more serious cases cortisone injections or surgery may be required. If you do suffer from heel or arch pain, Griffith Foot Clinic offers professional diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.

Sever’s disease is the most common cause of heel pain in pre-adolescent and adolescent children. It occurs most commonly in (but is not limited to) physically active children between 7 -14 years of age.Sever’s disease is most often caused by inadequate footwear, playing sport on hard surfaces, calf tightness and biomechanical problems. Sever’s disease is caused when the leg muscles become tight and overstretched or by repetitive stress being placed on the growth plate of the heel bone. Over time this stress causes micro-trauma, inflammation and pain. The treatment for Sever’s disease can vary from resting from sports, cold packs, stretching and strengthening exercises, footwear advice and heel inserts for shoes and trainers. Why not book an appointment with Griffith Foot Clinic for a diagnosis and to see which treatment options would help alleviate your child’s heel pain.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails are very painful and can cause infection. An ingrown toenail is caused when the nail grows into the skin, usually at the sides of the nail. This pressure irritates the skin, often creating pain, redness and swelling. If the nail breaks the skin bacteria may enter and cause an infection. Ingrown toenails are very common and Podiatrists deal with them regularly.

Griffith Foot Clinic will assess the problem and decide the best course of action. This could be nail trimming, footwear advice or nail surgery. Nail surgery is known as a Partial Nail Avulsion (PNA), this procedure is conducted using local anaesthetic. The treatment is painless and is the ultimate solution for ingrown toenails.

What is a Mortons Neuroma?

A neuroma is the inflammation and thickening of a nerve often causing discomfort and pain. A neuroma can present in several locations in the foot. A Mortons Neuroma is the most common, it occurs in the space between the 3rd and 4th metatarsal heads when the third common plantar nerve is inflamed.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of a Mortons Neuroma are all related to the function of the nerve. The longer the nerve has been inflamed the worse the symptoms are. In the beginning numbness and tingling are felt, over time these symptoms often progress to burning and stabbing type pain.

Cause

The inflammation of the third common plantar nerve is caused by the compression of the nerve due to poor foot function and broadening of the front of the foot.

Treatment

The initial treatments include padding and strapping as well as toe props to separate the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bones. Orthotics are used to provide a more permanent solution to improve foot function and alleviate compression of the nerve.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis or more correctly Plantar Fasciosis which is often referred to as ‘stone bruise’ or ‘heel spurs’ is an inflammation or irritation of the plantar fascia that extends from the heel to the toes. In this condition, the attachment at the inside of the heel becomes irritated and then inflamed resulting in heel pain.

Signs and Symptoms

Plantar fasciosis is often described as pain first thing in the morning after getting out of bed or after sitting. The pain often decreases a short time after being on your feet. The pain may or may not increase with time on your feet. The pain may increase over a number of months.

Causes

Most commonly, people with either overly flat feet or high-arched feet are most prone to developing this heel pain.

Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury where excessive pronation (fallen arches) adds additional tension to the plantar fascia causing the initial irritation.

Spending long periods of time walking on hard surfaces and wearing low flat shoes that have little support can increase symptoms.

On X-ray, heel spurs can be found in patients with heel pain, these are great indicators of tension at the attachment however these are rarely a source of pain.

Treatment Options

• Strapping
• Ice
• Stretching
• Orthotic devices
• Footwear
• Reduce Activity
• Medications

What is Severs Disease?

Severs’ Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis) is the inflammation of the heels growth plate due to muscle strain and repetitive stress. This condition is a common cause of heel pain in children between the ages of 8 – 14 years old, and especially in children who are active.

Signs and Symptoms

Discomfort in this condition is characterised by pain and tenderness in the back and bottom of the heel. Pain is often felt during and after increased levels of activity.

Cause

As children grow quickly (often due to growth spurts) the growth plate in the heel is put under increased tension and stress, this happens because bones can sometimes grow quicker than muscles. In addition to this tension, increased activity, poor foot function and excessive weight can all exacerbate the injury.

Treatment

Treatment options reduce stress on the heel and growth plate. This can be achieved in the following ways:

• Reduce activity
• Icing
• Heel Raises
• Stretches
• Footwear advice
• Orthotics