Before you begin to encourage your family to move more, check everyone’s shoes still fit well and are fit for purpose.
Kids feet grow fast, so check to see if there is a thumb widths breadth from the longest toe to the tip of the shoe.
The last thing you (or they!) want is to be complaining about sore feet or legs…
*Source foothealthaustralia.org.au
Is pain most commonly affecting the legs during adolescence. This pain most often occurs at afternoon to night time and will affect the muscles.
Growing pains is defined as pain in the muscles and not the bones or joints. Often it is genralised muscle pain which is often described as non-specific pain.
There are many theories as to why it occurs. The first theory is that due to large amounts of growth in a short time, there is an increased effort for the leg muscles to work and so pain occurs. The second is that the muscles fatigue due to overuse in active children. Lastly, there may be a psychological aspect to the pain development within the brain.
Growing pains is linked to obesity, lowered pain thresholds, decreased bone strength and is more prevalent in children who suffer migraines.
The symptoms will include being bilateral, pain in the late afternoon or evening, intermittent pain with some pain free days and is most likely be in the calf or quad muscles.
If the symptoms are unilateral, persistent, within joint or persistent until the next morning, see your doctor immediately.
Problems with your child’s feet could become problems for life if not treated early. Foot conditions have the potential to develop into knee, hip and back pain that can have serious consequences on development and posture. Bones and joints in children are constantly growing and are not fully developed until adulthood.
Every school term there will be some kind of change in growing feet, particularly in the 8-12 age bracket. After the summer break, spent mostly barefoot or in thongs, it’s good to remeasure feet and purchase correct fitting school and sports shoes for the upcoming year.
Tips for purchasing shoes at any age:
*Wear hand-me-down shoes with caution. An old shoe belonging to someone else will take on their shape and gait, which will not be the same as the new wearer. Buying a new shoe is recommended.
Every year at Total Care Podiatry we have a Back to School Free Foot check event and mid-year a Free Family Foot check event.