Most biomechanical problems can be corrected before a child ever takes his or her first step. Since children have an inbuilt ability to improve, the treatment efforts are rewarded by a rapid and dramatic response. This is particularly true of mechanical problems , since the tissues are rapidly growing and are very malleable.

In the older child or adolescent this tissue co operation is not always present. As maturity and strength develop , one may expect limbs to resist correction.

Those who allow normal development to take place or who give them a chance to outgrow it should reflect on that fact. This attitude is extremely unfair to the child . All too often the problem is not outgrown and it’s permanence is then assured . To stand by passively as a deformity matures is to waste a one time growth bonus.

Common correctable conditions are:
1. Flat feet
2. Pigeon toe appearance and way of walking

Which if untreated leads to early bunion or other formation and shoe fitting problems for the life of that person, and problems of the foot/leg turning in or out ,sometimes accompanied by knock knee or bow legged appearance eventually deforming the joints of both knee and foot.

Most often a previous practitioner who confidently assures the trusting parent that the problem will be outgrown is not present at a later time when symptoms develop and someone else must manage the condition .

The simple fact that the same foot conditions observed n infants appear in equal or greater numbers in older
Groups suggest that some children are not outgrowing this problem.

The opportunity for a podiatrist to render preventative care is to identify deformities in a new born , and treat them vigorously so that the child’s first steps are taken on perfectly or as close to normal functioning feet.

Since history demonstrates that many existing deformities will not correct with age the necessity for defined therapy becomes apparent.
The ideal treatment for any of these conditions should be:
1.Recognition of the deformity at the earliest possible age.
2,Screening of the new born population in the nursery shortly after birth would be ideal.
3.Maintenance of correction
4.Observation periodically to ensure the deformity is not reoccurring.

Some practitioners believe flat feet in children correct themselves spontaneously.
Flat feet are common deformity affecting children under the age of 6. A visit to any orthopaedic department dealing with adults will rapidly dispel such an illusion.

Your child deserves the highest quality of foot care available with intervention as early as the first few weeks of life. History has shown that many of these deformities do not correct with age.

The child is often brought to the podiatrist because the parent feels the child does not walk right, walks with a limp, tires easily or asks to be carried frequently, pulling off shoes, clumsy walk, falls and trips red marks on feet which often are caused by mild friction and pressure, either walks intoeing or out toeing, ankles roll in, wears out and destroys shoes quickly, sweating caused by faulty function where the muscles work too hard, wakes up in the middle of the night complaining of leg pain and so on.

Sometimes there are no presenting symptoms, however lack of complaints in a child under 5, is an unreliable indication of lack of foot problems .

Unfortunately , too often the treatment for these conditions has been non intervention a find of watchful waiting until time corrects the deformity or problem. But research has shown that this approach totally ignores the large number of adults troubled by foot and leg problems , not to mention related lower back pain, which were not corrected by time alone.
It has been documented that over 80% of the population will suffer from foot or leg related problems at one time or another.
The vast majority of these , begin in childhood. While it is true that symptoms may not take place until age 30 to 40, but the ground work has already been set in motion.

The earlier the condition is detected and treatment initiated the more rapidly, together with complete correction will be attained.

TREATMENT PROGRAM:
A gentle corrective force is applied to each part of the limb to be corrected using plaster of Paris applying a suitable force.
Previously forcible manipulation under general anaesthetic was used. While this resulted in an anatomical improvement , it also caused a thick fibrotic and poor functioning foot as the result.

Therefore it is better to make haste slowly- and allow tissues to remodel and adapt to the new and improved position. Patience and persistence are ingredients for successful results. A properly applied gentle force will not assume good ,lasting results if the practitioner or parent is impatient. The parts of the limb must be trained to grow correctly and this requires time. Persistence in this instance may be defined as a force applied a little, but more often.

The podiatrist may institute therapy with every intention of being patient and persistence only to find this is not consistent with the wishes of the parents. Just as the horticulturist can not train the vine or the ortho dentist to realign in days or weeks so too the treatment of the feet and legs should not suffer the constraint of too little time.

WARTS treated in most cases PAIN FREE