It is sometimes said the diagnosis of flat feet can be made by looking at the part of the shoes where the greatest amount of wear has taken place. If your child wears down the heels and soles of his shoes on the inner side, there may be a problem.
Another trick is to get the child to stand in water and then put their feet onto a plain piece of paper. If the feet are a normal shape they will show a classic 'footprint' pattern but if the feet are flat then the whole foot will leave an outline on the paper.
If a child complains of pains in his feet after modest exercise then a diagnosis of flat feet is certainly worth consideration.
To encourage the feet to develop properly, encourage your child to walk about in bare feet as often as possible. Ensure -that when shoes are worn they fit well and provide good support.
Teacher: Michael
Many articles taken from 'A word with the doctor', by Dr. John Windsor.
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