Foot Pain in Children – Causes and Home Remedies

If your child is suffering from foot pain on a regular basis, there is a strong likelihood that he may be suffering from growing pains. However, sometimes it may not be just growing pains that may be causing discomfort to your child’s feet, sometimes the pain may be present due to some underlying medical condition as well. If you are looking for more information on causes of foot pain in children and how you may effectively manage it with the various home remedial measure, we recommend that you go through the following article.

What Causes Foot Pain in Kids

Young children are very active and spend most of their time running around in the house as well as outside, and thus it may turn their feet sore. However, apart from this, there are many other causes of pain in the feet of a child:

1. Injury

Any injury such as a sprain, twisting, fracture or other such injuries may cause pain in your child’s foot. If your kid experiences foot pain due to any such injuries, it is important that you seek immediate medical assistance for the same.

2. Athletics’ Foot

This condition can be characterized by severe itching between the toes and may make the skin of a foot appear scaly, dry, and flaky. This is a fungal infection that your kid may catch from swimming pool, by wearing contaminated socks, etc.

3. Sever’s Disease

This condition may occur due to the growth spurts in a child. The growth spurts can lead to serious pain in the feet of the child. He will feel intense pain in the heels. This is more common in kids who are active in sports or other outdoor activities.

4. Flat Foot

If your kid complains of foot pain that may extend up to his ankles and calf muscles, then there is a possibility that your kid may be suffering from flat-footedness.

5. Improper Shoes

Sometimes kids may experience foot pain if they do not wear proper running shoes or if they wear shoes that are too tight. Tight or ill-fitted shoes may cause a blister and raw skin on your child’s foot, which may lead to excessive pain.

6. Bunions

If your child makes more use of his arched portion of the foot, a bump may appear on the joint at the base of the big toe, which may protrude from one side of the foot. This condition may also occur due to any kind of foot deformity at birth or genetic reasons and may cause pain.

7. Ingrown Nails

Sometimes improper clipping of toenails may make the nail to curl up at the edges and dig into the skin itself. This may cause the surrounding skin to turn red, raw, and may cause pain.

8. Plantar Warts

Often mistaken as corns, plantar warts are caused due to a viral infection and are extremely contagious. These warts have their roots embedded into the skin and may cause extreme pain and discomfort while walking.

9. Plantar Fasciitis

This condition may occur due to irritation of the plantar fasciitis, which is a thick band of connective tissues. The symptoms may include difficulty in walking, foot tenderness, and severe heel pain, which is usually more prominent in the morning hours.

10. Achilles Tendonitis

This condition may affect children who may undertake any increased physical activity. The increased activity may put pressure on the heel and the back of the foot, causing pain and discomfort.

The above-mentioned are some of the causes of foot pain or foot cramps in kids. If you register any of these conditions in your child, you may adopt various remedial measures to ease the pain.

Ways to Treat Foot Pain in Child At Home

If you are looking for some home remedial measures to cure foot pain in your child, the following may prove to be useful:

• If your child complains of foot pain and you are able to establish that it is due to the wrong sole of the shoe, then it will be a good idea to put an insole in your child’s shoe. The extra cushioning may not only provide comfort but may also help in keeping the pain at bay. However, if the pain is due to the ill-fitted or improper shoe, it will be a good idea to ditch that shoe and invest in a good pair of shoes for your kid.

• Encourage your child to soak his feet in warm water after having an active day. A warm water bath may also help. A warm bath helps the tired muscles to relax and eases the pain, and also induces better sleep.

• Pay attention to your child’s diet because sometimes certain ailments occur due to nutritional deficiency in your child. Increase your kid’s iron intake as more iron in the body may help in keeping various health problems at bay.

• If your doctor has prescribed some medication to treat pain, make sure your kid has it on time. Do not give any over-the-counter medicines to your kid. If you want to give any medicines, seek your doctor’s permission for the same.

• If your child complains of pain in his feet, give him a comfortable and roomy footwear to wear.

• If the pain is due to continuous pressure on the feet, then it will be a good idea to try R.I.C.E. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. This may help you take care of your kid’s foot pain for a few hours.

• When your child feels better and his pain subsides, engage him in light to moderate physical activities. Your doctor may recommend a few exercises for your child.

• If under some critical condition, your doctor recommends using crutches, you can use them too.

If the pain in the feet does not subside even after a few days or so, seek your doctor’s advice for the same. If the case seems to be more complicated, your doctor may even recommend paying a visit to a podiatrist.

When To Consult a Doctor

Sometimes home remedies or treatment may not work for your kid, and your kid may require medical assistance. Following are certain conditions for which you should consult your doctor:

• Any signs of infection on your child’s foot, which may include fever, pus draining anywhere from the foot, redness, intense pain etc.
• If your kid’s foot is tingly or numb.
• If you notice your kid’s foot is not in its original position or appears twisted.
• If your kid’s foot is not stable when he puts it on the ground.
• If your kid experiences difficulty when standing on his feet.

If you notice the above-mentioned conditions, we suggest you seek medical help.

Foot pain is very common in children, and it may occur due to various reasons. In order to establish the real cause of the pain, it will be a good idea to visit your doctor.

Also Read: Signs And Symptoms of Neck Pain in Children