How to Help a Child Suffering From Severe Foot Pain

Dr. Brian Nagy | March 22nd, 2018

Posted In: Children, General Foot Pain, HyProCure Treatment

Does your child complain of foot pain? Don’t ignore it. You may think your child just wants a little extra attention, but complaining of foot pain is typically not the way he’ll try to get it. Childhood foot pain can be caused by minor or temporary problems, but they can also be a sign of something more serious. Left untreated, minor foot problems can become major ones. It is best to consult your podiatrist when your child has foot pain so you don’t make the mistake of making a small problem a big one.

Treatment for Severe Foot Pain in Children

• Pain at night – If your child wakes up in the middle of the night complaining of foot or leg pain, it’s possible he is experiencing is growing pains. These are fairly common and typically resolve on their own. Help your child by applying an analgesic to the affected area and administering the proper dose of over-the-counter children’s pain medicine if he is experiencing severe pain. Warm baths, heating pads, and massages will also help your little one get back to sleep. If the pain persists throughout the morning, you notice swelling or redness, or your child has a fever, call your podiatrist. Growing pains can be a symptom of misaligned feet, which require the attention of your podiatrist as soon as possible.
• Warts and bunions – These common foot problems in children are typically not serious and can usually be treated at home. Help your child soak her foot, apply wart remover or bunion pads, give her a mild pain reliever that is specifically formulated for children if there is pain, and make sure her shoes fit correctly. If bunions persist, you should consult your podiatrist. Because bunions can be hereditary, severely painful bunions in children are best treated before adulthood in order to prevent them from constantly recurring.
• Flat feet – Your toddler may have relatively flat feet until their arches are fully formed. By the time he is six years old, however, he should have a noticeable arch and walk with a normal gait. Mild forms of pediatric flat feet can be corrected with strengthening exercises as instructed by your podiatrist. Severe flat feet in children, however, can cause ankle, knee, and/or hip pain later in life. That is why you must consult a qualified podiatrist if your child still has flat feet after the age of six. Treatment will depend on the severity of the problem. Targeted exercises and some form of foot orthotics may be enough to correct the problem. However, in serious cases your podiatrist may recommend HyProCure® treatment, a safe and minimally invasive procedure that can help resolve issues related to flat feet and other foot problems.
• Misalignment – This foot problem causes a variety of symptoms including foot pain and can be diagnosed by your podiatrist. Misaligned feet present in both children and adults, and can cause recurring calluses, foot pain, ankle pain, knee pain, hip pain, sore muscles, imbalance, pronation, supination, awkward gait, and even weight gain. When feet are misaligned, the ankle bone slides over the heel bone, compressing the space between the two bones. This leads to overpronation of the foot and, ultimately, pain. If your child complains of pain in her foot and exhibits any of these symptoms, take her to see your podiatrist. Left untreated, misalignment of the feet can lead to severe and lasting pain. HyProCure® treatment can fix misalignment and prevent a lifetime of pain and even disability.

HyProCure® is Safe for Children

While technically surgery, HyProCure® treatment is a safe, minimally invasive procedure that offers a high rate of success in treating misalignment, flat feet, and other problems that cause foot pain in children. The procedure is performed in your HyProCure®-qualified podiatrist’s office and takes only 15-20 minutes. There is minimal if any scarring due to the tiny size of the incision, patients are only mildly anesthetized – not “put under” as they would be during major surgery, and the recovery period is typically three weeks or less.

Dr. Brian A. Nagy has completed the required training to become a Qualified Surgeon for the HyProCure® ankle stent. At Nagy Footcare, our experienced, compassionate doctors and staff believe your child should not have to suffer from foot pain. We believe she deserves the proper diagnosis, the fastest possible results, and the most advanced technologies and treatments available. If your child is complaining of ankle, foot, or toe pain, we want to help. Contact Dr. Nagy for an initial consultation today.

At Nagy Footcare, our best day is when you wake up with no foot pain.