4 Ways to Alleviate a Children’s Foot Problem

04 Jan 4 Ways to Alleviate a Children’s Foot Problem

If there’s one thing all parents can agree on, it’s that the only thing worse than enduring painful heel or ankle pain themselves is seeing their own child have to endure similar foot pain. If you are the parent of an athlete or just a child who is generally very active, it is quite likely that at some point in their childhood they’ll end up with some sort of children’s foot problem, whether that is a twisted ankle, fractured heel, or something else.

If you are currently dealing with a children’s foot problem, here are a few ways that you can help your child soothe and alleviate that pain:

1) A Compression Sleeve:

So long as your child’s ankle or heel pain isn’t so bad that they can’t even walk on their foot, consider dressing the foot in a compression sleeve. By wearing this during the day when they are walking, it will reduce swelling, inflammation, and irritation, and make it easier for them to walk correctly with less pain.

Even though a compression sleeve could be a great solution, it is still important to ensure that your child properly rests their foot whenever possible so that the recovery process can be expedited and they don’t cause the foot to experience further injury.

2) An Epsom Salt Soak:

One way to reduce the swelling in a children’s foot problem is to submerge the foot in a warm Epsom salt bath.

Get a tub and combine Epsom salt with warm water. Allow your child to soak their injured foot in the salt water for approximately 20 minutes. By doing this, not only will the experience lessen swelling in their foot, it will also soothe the injured area and alleviate some of the pain. You can do this a couple times a day until the problem seems to subside.

Of course, if your child is suffering from a more serious ankle or heel injury or the salt water doesn’t seem to be helping, you should take your child to a podiatrist to receive proper treatment.

3) Gentle Stretches and Exercises:

Whether your child is suffering from minor pain due to overuse of their foot or they are recovering from an ankle or heel surgery, gentle stretches and light exercises make the recovery process go by even faster. So long as you have gotten the green light from the doctor, try a few stretches and exercises at home.

If you don’t feel comfortable letting your child do the exercises on their own or if their recovery demands more serious treatment, ask your doctor about the possibility of working with a physical therapist. This way, you can ensure your child is getting the treatment they need without damaging their foot with incorrect exercises.

4) Hot and Cold Therapy:

Hot therapy and cold therapy have both been tried-and-true remedies for decades, so they are definitely worth trying in order to help your child deal with their children’s foot problem. If you have access to a heating pad, instruct your child to elevate and rest their foot and compress the heating pad to the affected area. In addition to heat therapy, allow your child to ice the injured area for 15-20 minutes at a time before removing the ice for a few minutes and repeating the process. Both of these methods will soothe the area, alleviate pain, and reduce swelling.

If you are looking for more information on how to relieve heel and ankle pain or if you have a concern about a foot-related injury, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. We are committed to helping men, women, and children get the proper treatment they need for foot injuries and other foot conditions.