When it comes time for school sports and other athletic endeavors that your child may be involved in, you need to pay close attention to their feet. Many kids may be told to play through the foot or ankle pain that they are feeling, but this could lead to unnecessary damage in the future. It is best to monitor any injury and know when it is a good idea to see a podiatrist for further intervention.

Kids that are skeletally immature can be prone to ankle or foot sprains, or even worse. The unfortunate truth is that a lot of kids will keep on playing even if they are going through nagging pain in their feet or ankles. In some cases, they could be playing with a stress fracture that may lead to hidden damage. Some parents will simply tell the kids to play through the pain and often have to be shown the x-rays after visiting a doctor or podiatrist to believe that there is anything truly wrong.

Common Foot/Ankle Issue Due To Youth Sports

If there is a stress fracture, there will often be pain during regular activity as well as swelling without bruising. For treatment, rest and casting may be suggested. In some cases, a stress fracture will heal poorly without professional intervention and it could lead to the need for surgery in the future.

Whenever there is a sport that includes constant running, such as soccer, it can put additional stress on the foot and ankle. There can be pain from overuse and there will often be inflammation around the heel bone and growth plate. Kids are still growing, which means that the growth plate is still open between the ages of 13 to 16.

Other common issues can include broken toes, Achilles tendonitis, and ankle sprains. Any ankle sprain should be evaluated by a podiatrist to help determine the extent of the injury. If the ankle seems to stay swollen for a period of several days and it remains painful to stand on or walk on, it could actually be a fracture.

Treatment

Whenever you think that your child has gone through any sort of an injury while playing soccer or another sport, you should make sure that their foot or ankle is examined immediately. Working with a professional podiatrist will not only give you insight on the nature of the injury but also the best treatment and how this type of injury can be avoided in the future as your child continues on with their chosen sport.

Do you have questions about your kid’s feet in regards to the sports they take part in? Call Dr. Hall at (425) 482-6663 today!