Strong Feet Carry us Further
Our FEET are one of the hardest working structures in our body. From the moment our CHILDREN rise in the morning until they rest at night their feet are placed under force, stress and load required by the body’s movement. In the early stages of our children’s foot development, many bones are yet to be formed. The early forms of bone present as cartilage, and at various stages in their development begin to change to bone (a process we call OSSIFY) to form the overall permanent shape. The main bone of the ARCH (the navicular) will become solid and show its position at approximately 5 years of age.
By the time our children reach 15 years of age all the bones in their feet have taken their permanent solid form. Up until that time some will form solid bone earlier, but many exist with softer textured growth plates found within the end of each bone. Growth plates are much softer and flexible than strong rigid bone often separated from the main body of bones by active CARTILAGE. They present as more vulnerable tissue areas against load, traction, overuse and force injury.
It is within the GROWTH plate zones of CHILDRENS’ lower limbs that Podiatrists most often see injuries and pain.
How children move, the stress their bodies endure and the way bone/postural positions form changes many times throughout GROWTH. Our first major change happens at 2.5 years when children start to display a normal heel to toe walking style. At this time our CHILDREN’S center of gravity lowers, their hands come down by the side and they begin the journey of active play movement. In an everyday active child this is where parents should start paying attention to how their child moves.
Flexible Flat Foot of a child
Movement can be particularly uncomfortable for children with FLAT FEET. A colleague of mine once relayed that these kids must feel like they are “running on sand”, an accurate metaphor for the very mobile and pliable base of a flexible flat foot. If you can imagine doing that day in day out, you can understand how tired these little legs become and how activity is uncomfortable.
PAIN presents in many ways in CHILDREN. In their younger years be aware of abnormal behavioural changes as indicator that movement is uncomfortable. The common changes may represent as:
Refusal to walk/run around
Inability to keep up with their peers in the playground
Growing pains (We only see 10% “growing pains as true growing pains in the age of 2-4 years, beyond this age there is a reason for pain)
In older kids, from the age of 7 years onward, they will tell you where pain is by pointing directly to it or asking your child to “point to where it hurts”. You will also notice if their walking and running requires more concentration and effort than other kids.
As CHILDREN enter the School system their load requirements dramatically increases. KIDS begin both School Sports and out of School Sports generally. Each sport requiring particular footwear with some designs placing growth plates of the foot at higher load positions.
Having worked in PEDIATRIC and SPORTS PODIATRY for 20 years I’ve had first hand experience of helping many kids develop strong and healthy adult feet. My strategy is always to strengthen, support and sustain where INTERVENTION is key.
It would surprise many parents to know that most ‘off the shelf’ insoles are miniature versions of ADULT orthotics. The main support area in ‘off the shelf’ ADULT orthotics is right in the centre of the arch. CHILDREN should be supported closer to the rearfoot (under the ankle area) to assist movement and not aggressively control the arch of the feet. CHILDREN’S feet are not fully developed like an ADULT; their brains are storing this information as patterns, muscles are moving around these support points and we have the ability to create stronger pathways for movement. We need to think differently when supporting a CHILD’S FOOT compared to an ADULT’S FOOT.
KIDZOLES are an off the shelf orthotic range I personally designed to assist CHILDREN during their major growth and development stages. The designs change as children grow represented in each size range.
KIDZOLES orthotics are only one aspect of helping form stronger feet in our CHILDREN. The strengthening programs that accompany our insoles is where the real magic happens. These programs come within an online course structure and build strength gradually in a controlled manner. They open up in video format on laptop, tablet or phone as they are due; plus, they only take 10 minutes a day.
With the ACTIVE KIDS in mind our orthotics will fit AFL, NRL, Soccer and Waffle shoes. They are designed to replace shoe insoles with a slim-fit design. Also giving CHILDREN the option for that much desired everyday fashion shoe while concealing their secret foot support weapon within their “kicks”. The beauty here, the KIDS chose the shoe and we provide the support internally. Parents also need not stress around sourcing a “supportive” shoe for their CHILD spending countless hours scouring the internet or shoe store to shoe store; simply add a KIDZOLE to almost any shoe* and it instantly becomes supportive!
*shoes that are enclosed, lace-up/adjustable and have the insole removed recommended