| It is important for children to receive corrective orthotic care
while they are growing. Properly administered care in the early
years will reduce pain, dysfunction and inactivity later in life.
With TOG GaitScan, there are no weight restrictions;
therefore, Footprints Orthotics is able to use the latest assessment
technology available on any person who can walk, no matter how
small!
Your Child's Growing Feet
| 12 to 18 Months |
The structure of the foot is primarily soft cartilage, usually
not strong enough to support the body. |
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| Learning to Stand |
Cartilage rapidly develops into bone. |
| Two to Six Years Old |
Early weight-bearing years where the legs and
feet go through several stages of developement. |
| Two Years Old |
The bowed legs and "toed-in" feet of infancy straighten
out as the child begins to walk. |
| Three Years Old |
A knock-kneed, toed-in stance may develope as a result of
normal skeletal growth. |
| Six Years Old |
The major structures of the foot are fully developed and resemble
the adult foot. |
| Seven Years Old |
The knock-kneed, toed-in appearance and the child's feet and
legs usually straighten out by age six or seven. |
Although
the knock-kneed, toed in stance usually disappears by the age of
seven, unfortunately, not all conditions disappear. A recent survey
of 52 five-year-old children showed that 92.3% had knocked knees
and 77.9% over pronated. While noticeable knocked knees usually
disappear by age seven, over pronation does not.
Over Pronation
As you walk, your weight shifts as your feet naturally move
forward and up and down; just as naturally, they also slightly "flare
out" or "pronate" just before the heel makes contact with the ground.
Over pronation refers to an excessive amount of pronation, or pronation
occurring at the wrong time in the gait cycle. This can cause the
foot bones to shift position, which results in dysfunction of the
bones and joints above the pronated foot. Over time, this dysfunction
can cause stress or pain in the knees, hips, pelvis, low back, or
neck. The foot itself may not hurt at all, even though it can be
the principal cause of stress/pain elsewhere in the body.
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Footprints Orthotics Children's Program
It is important that a child's feet be kept supported and in
balance. At Footprints Orthotics we understand the needs of
growing children and the significance of corrective orthotic
therapy. As a result, we have developed a special Children Program.
We provide children under 16 with a complementary rescan and
assessment every 12 months, as well as a 30% discount on all
orthotics purchased.
The KidsFlex orthotic is
specifically designed for young children under the age of six, or
less than 50 lbs, who require moderate functional rearfoot
biomechanical control. This orthotic comes standard with a deep heel
cup to accommodate larger fat pads that are found in young children.
The KidsFlex orthotic comes in a ¾ length or full length and is
suitable for children’s sports and casual shoes.
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