Podiatrist Advises Foot Screenings For Growing Children

When Richard, a 10-year-old boy, injured his ankle sliding into second base in a Little League game, he didn’t complain about the pain. But three weeks later, his parents saw that Richard’s foot kept turning inward, and brought him to Harold Reinhartz, D.P.M., a podiatrist with 29 years experience and co-founder of Footcare Experss, a Miami store that specializes in functional foot orthotics, custom shoes and foot care products.

“Richard had stretched his tendon enough to weaken the ankle,” says Dr. Reinhartz. “His ankle was getting weaker and weaker. Left untreated, he would have developed devastating leg, knee, ankle and back changes over the years. But thanks to functional foot orthotics and physical therapy, he’s fine.”

Parents take their children to the dentist to have their teeth checked. Vision and hearing screenings are done in school. But it’s rare for children to have their feet examined, says Dr. Reinhartz.

Yet, a brief screening by an experienced podiatrist using a computerized gait analysis combined with video-motion analysis — the process followed at Footcare Express — can detect problems with the bones of the foot, the surrounding muscles or the way a child is walking — before they become more serious.

“I feel that foot screenings are extremely important for both children and their parents,” says Dr. Reinhartz. “Many children’s gait problems are easily correctable with properly prescribed foot orthotics by a licensed podiatrist.”

The consequences of ignoring a difficulty with the foot vary with the individual and nature of the problem, Dr. Reinhartz says. “An untreated tight Achilles tendon, for example, puts excess pressure on the foot, which eventually can lead to deformities. Other types of foot problems can cause back, hip or knee problems, because the way a person walks affects the whole muscular skeletal system.”

Preventing problems with a functional foot orthotic — a customized device inserted into the shoe to relieve pressure points, support the foot more effectively and assure proper alignment of the feet, ankles, knees and legs — usually lets a child walk, run and play with more energy, while reducing the risk of injuries.

Dr. Reinhartz advises parents to watch for these early warning signs of foot problems:

• Chronic ankle sprains
• Frequent muscle cramps
• An ankle that turns in when walking
• Knees that turn in or out when walking
• Curly toes or deformed toes
• Clumsiness
• Differences in symmetry between the feet and legs
• A child who wants to be carried
• Abnormal sitting positions
• Family history of foot problems
• Child’s history of foot problems
• Heel pain, especially in children age 8 to 12
• Broken-down heel counters
• Inside or out toe walking
• Frequent fatigue during or after walking
• Persistent pain, swelling, redness, blisters or bunions
• Lateness in starting to walk (12 months or longer)

“Most children don’t complain about their feet,” Dr. Reinhartz says. “So as a parent, you have to be alert for other symptoms and observe whether or not the child exhibits a limp. And if a child starts complaining, you know there’s a problem that requires attention.”