Being a kid is fun. To run around outside and play with friends all day is one of the best things about being a kid. Unfortunately, some kids have to deal with foot pain and as a parent trying to help your child is your number one concern. Every parent wants their child to be able to enjoy themselves without having any complications at all, but that is not always the case.
If your child has been complaining of foot pain you do not always have to rush them to the doctor for the pain. Getting your child heel cups can probably help your child and save you a lot of money in the long run. Finding out what is causing the foot pain the first step in helping your child. Most pain is caused by one of 4 things pes cavus, Pes plantus, pronation, or supination.
Pes Cavus
Pes cavus is another word for someone having a high arch in their foot. This can be an asymptomatic problem, but sometimes it can cause pain when the kid is wearing a shoe that irritates them. The problem can be fixed by simply getting a shoe that helps accommodate the arch in the foot is high. If getting new shoes does not fix the problem then heel cups for kids could be the solution you need. A heel cup can be added to any shoe so that the high arch is more comfortable in the shoe.
Pes Plantus
Pes plantus is another word for a person that has flat feet. This condition can also be asymptomatic. To test if your child has flat feet simply let your child stand bear foot on a flat surface and see if you can place two fingers underneath their foot. If not your child has flat feet and could benefit from having a heel cup. The heel cup can help to raise the arch of the foot and alleviate some of the pain cause by the arch being flat. Flat feet could happen because of running in shoes that are not meant for running and in turn, causes the arch of the foot to fall.
Pronation
Pronation of the foot is normal, but sometimes kids can over-pronate the foot. Pronation is an inward rotation of the foot that should happen naturally. If your kid suffers some other injury to the foot they can sometimes the foot to help relieve the pain of the other injury. Overpronating can cause foot pain and if it becomes a problem the best thing to do is to rest the foot for a while. When returning your child to activity using a heel cup with a medial wedge in it is the next thing that should be done. The medial wedge will help your child not to turn the foot inward as much and should help the pain to go way
Supination
Supination is when a person turns the foot outward and does not turn the foot inward enough. This can put a strain on the muscles in the foot and cause foot pain. Heel cups for kids should be inserted if your child has this problem. A heel cup that has a lateral wedge to stop outward rotation is the best for the child with a supination problem.
Dealing with foot pain can be difficult especially when dealing with children who do not know how to thoroughly explain the things they are feeling. If your child complains of foot pain the best thing to do is to watch them while they are doing the activity to see if you can stop anything out of the ordinary.
