Are your kids ready for FALL SPORTS?

Fall is almost here and kids everywhere are gearing up for fall sports programs including soccer and football, track and volleyball. over 30 Million kids are involved in at least one interscholastic sports program; 21.5 Million kids are playing on one or more organized sports teams! More than 2.6 million children are treated in the emergency department each year for sports and recreational-related injuries

According to statistics, nearly 35.8% of injuries in kids 5-17 relate to sports and recreation. Why are Kids more susceptible to sports related injuries? 

• Active bone growth precedes muscle and tendon lengthening creating limited flexibility and risk of overuse injuries.
• Kids have an actively growing musculoskeletal system. Motor strength imbalances can lead to muscle strains.
• Open physeal growth plates in kids can lead to a higher incidence of tearing injuries.
• Kids have limited skill levels and level of conditioning (coordination issues).
• Consider gender: Male-female ratio of injury 1.8:1, but some girls are more susceptible to particular injuries.
• Kids have greater ligamentous laxity.

Kids are not just small adults! Adults whose bones have finished growing might simply pull a muscle or a tendon after a fall. But in a child, that same fall could injure the growth plate. One of the most commonly injured parts of the body in adolescents is the foot and ankle, particularly those involved in sports. Here are some of the more common injuries by age group:

AGES 6-12

• Flat Feet
• Growing Pains
• Knee or Shin Pain
• Osgood Schlatters disease or syndrome
• Calcaneal apophysitis (Sever's disease)
• Poor Posture and Postural Weakness
• including Genu Valgus (Knock Knees)

AGES 13-17

• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner's Knee)
• Plantarfasciitis
• Shin Splints
• Stress Fractures
• Ankle Pain
• Ankle Instability

littleSTEPS® foot orthotics for kids can help protect kids during sports activities. They can be worn in cleats or athletic shoes. littleSTEPS® products are specifically designed for kids to deliver a prescription based correction, closest you will find to matching custom UCBL devices! littleSTEPS® come in 11 sizes to fit toddlers to teens. For larger teens, a QUADRASTEP® orthotic may be more appropriate. Ask your practitioner about littleSTEPS® and QUADRASTEP® orthotics today! If you need to find a practitioner, visit our website nolaro24.com. Like us on Facebook @quadrasteps

#LSteps #QuadraSTEPS

3 Exercises That May Reduce Pes Planus

By Dr. Scott Gray

Are you suffering from flat feet?

Hi, I’m Dr. Scott Gray. I’m the owner of Back in Motion in Ft. Myers, Florida, a doctor of physical therapy, published author, and inventor of the Gray Method™.

In this article I’m going to show you three ways that may help reduce pes planus, or flat feet.

What is Pes Planus?

Pes planus also known as flat foot is the loss of the medial longitudinal arch of the foot, heel valgus deformity, and medial talar prominence.

Flat feet may be causing  plantar fasciitis, knee pain, back pain, or even hip pain.

Strengthen the Tibialis Posterior Muscle & Tendon With a Calf Raise

One of the best ways to reduce pes planus and mitigate it is to strengthen the posterior tibialis muscle and tendon complex. So as we walk and gait in a terminal stance, that foot should supinate where it’s not flat

What we can do to help develop this is to do a simple calf raise.

By going up on your toes you can see whether or not the heel goes into supination and that’s really what we’re looking for.

That’s going to help pull on the midfoot and even some of the rear foot there as the tendons come through to provide stability into the opposite of flat feet.

So we would typically like to do this in three sets of 10 to 15 reps a couple times a week to help just get some strength and stability of that complex.

Improve Your Hip Extension

The second way to help mitigate flat feet or pes planus is to actually work the hip in getting the hip to extend.So what happens commonly is we walk, if you don’t have hip extension mobility, then the foot can’t resupinate.

The foot will go into pes planus or flat feet. We really want to make sure that we give the ankle joint enough time to dorsiflex. Which then allows that windlass mechanism to kick in, where the foot can start to supinate at the rear foot.

How we do this is having the patient go into a lunge like position, having a stretch cage is helpful, and the patient will  drive back and forth and really work on getting motion in the hip.

If you don’t have mobility at the ankle joint, then what happens is the subtalar joint will revert and it causes motion at the midtarsal joint to give false dorsal flexion.

So we really want to make sure we’re getting true, authentic dorsiflexion so that the midtarsal joint doesn’t have to unlock which then will allow the foot to get rigid and become a stiff lever in the gate. So that’s just an easy way to get dorsiflexion.

Hip Strengthening

So the last way we can mitigate pes planus is actually working the strength of the hip.

If I’m standing and I have weak hips, it’s going to potentially make my knees cave in which down the chain is going to make my feet go into pronation as a compensation.

If I work on strengthening some of my butt muscles and deep hip rotators, I can potentially help mitigate those forces of my flat feet.

One exercise that we really like to do here at Back in Motion is a hip airplane, and so we have the patient hold onto something because it’s not a balance exercise.

Then from here, they are going to rotate their hip into what we call external rotation and extension. And that’s going to get these deep hip rotator muscles working, which is going to help prevent ultimately from being in this knock-knee position, which can make her feet flat.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Those are three simple ways to mitigate pes planus or flat feet. We talked about the calf raise to work the posterior tibial tendon, and working the hip indirectly by mobilizing into extension, so that the midtarsal joint doesn’t have to unlock.

And lastly we talked about strengthening the glutes to help prevent some of that femoral internal rotation so that doesn’t happen at the feet.

Incorporating these tips above could help with everything from knee pain, back pain, hip pain, plantar fasciitis, and so much more.

About The Author: Dr. Scott Gray

Dr. Scott Gray is an internationally recognized and expert physical therapist & sports performance coach specializing in sport, athletic, and back and neck injuries. He is the inventor of a revolutionary form of treatment called the GRAY METHOD™. This type of treatment unlike others, addresses the CAUSE rather than just your SYMPTOMS with a full body approach. Learn more about what Back In Motion in Ft. Myers, FL has to offer other than physical therapy including sports performance training, personal training.

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 INTRODUCING OUR ALL NEW

Parent Video Series

As parents, we want to do as much as we can for our little ones. To help make it a little easier, Nolaro24 now offers a series of educational and informative videos designed for the parent. The Parent Video series includes topics ranging from newborn through adolescence. Each speaker is an established and respected medical professional with extensive experience in their field of expertise. 

The shape of the human foot is constantly evolving, and every foot is unique. Many factors influence foot development. Common pediatric foot concerns are in-toeing, flat feet, toe walking, and growing pains. Early intervention, including structural support and exercise, can successfully treat these common pediatric symptoms. Treatment in the early years can have a meaningful impact on health, comfort, and wellbeing throughout child development and adult years. However, if left untreated, these mild foot concerns or abnormalities can lead to long-term issues in adulthood. When treating the pediatric foot, the optimal goal is to ease discomfort and improve mobility, strength, and balance. 

Nolaro24 has been a long-time provider of foot treatment products for children and adults. We are also the provider of educational lectures, webinars, and Master Classes for medical professionals. We are now extending our educational expertise to parents in the Parent Series videos.

As a parent seeking to learn more about the growing foot and ways to help with your child's comfort and proper development, these videos may be a useful resource. 

Our NEWEST Parent Video is now available

The Parent’s Guide to Your Child’s Foot Development: The Sole of the Matter (Conception to Pre-Walker)

by Tara Liddle, PT, MA, DPT, PCS "Expecting and new parents often have many questions regarding the care and development of their baby. In this presentation, I review everything you need to know about the infant's foot and why and how the foot plays a big part in motor development, including ways to achieve best foot practices and care for optimum benefits for your baby." Happy listening! -Tara     Who Should Purchase this Video Any parent who wants to learn more about child foot development in the newborn-2 age range. LEARN MORE Parents of Ages 3-12 might like The Parent’s Guide to Your Child’s Foot Development: Toddlers on Up! by Liesa M Ritchie, PT, DPT, PCS, CKTP Parents and caregivers have lots of questions for pediatric physical therapists! In this webinar, Liesa explains flat feet, growing pains & toe walking. “Poor balance, clumsiness, inactivity, weakness, stiffness & pain are very often caused by poor foot & ankle alignment. But, to improve alignment, we have to act sooner than you think! In this webinar, I’ll explain why flat feet are a problem, when it isn’t ‘just growing pains’ and how to know if toe walking is a problem. Plus, I’ll describe recommended characteristics for shoes at various ages, as well as the purpose and benefits of orthotics.” - Liesa LEARN MORE

Do you know the right shoe for your foot type?

It's 2021 and January is always a time where we reassess, reevaluate, and determine to get healthier and get moving. We clean out the old, pare down, and organize.

As we get out the old athletic shoes and vow to start a fitness program this winter, why not treat yourself to a new pair with a better fit for your goals - and most importantly, your orthotics!

Here is a chart of our recommendations for athletic shoes by your foot type. If you don't know your foot type yet, go to one of our trained practitioners and find out! You might not know that genetics predetermines the shape of your foot and the way you walk, leading to many of the aches and pains you experience throughout your lifetime.There is help out there - you don't have to suffer!

Check out our list of trained practitioners, and you can download the shoe list below HERE.

Here's to a happy, healthy, and pain free 2021!

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10 Myths about feet

1. Myth: Shoes cause bunions.
   Truth: Shoes that crowd the toes can make bunions more painful over time but shoes themselves do not cause bunions. Bunions are usually caused by a faulty mechanical structure of the foot that is inherited. The bunion itself is not inherited, but certain foot types that make people prone to developing a bunion. 
2. Myth: Corns have roots.
   Truth: Corns, unlike calluses, have a central core of hard material, they do not, however, have roots. A corn is a build-up of skin caused by friction. In fact, many corns result from a hammertoe deformity where the toe knuckle rubs against your shoe.
3. Myth: Cutting a notch in a toenail will ease the pain of ingrown toenails.
   Truth: If a toenail is ingrown, the nail curves down and grows into the skin. Cutting a notch into the nail does nothing, and the new nail growth will continue to curve downwards. In fact, cutting a notch can potentially cause more problems.
4. Myth: It is normal to experience foot pain as you get older.
   Truth: It is not normal to experience foot pain at any age!
5. Myth: There is no treatment for foot pain.
   Truth: It There are many ways to treat foot pain, including foot orthotics, anti-inflammatory medications and surgery.
6. Myth: Doctors cannot fix a broken toe.
   Truth: There are steps you can take to make a broken toe heal better and prevent further problems like arthritis and toe deformities. When broken toes aren’t treated correctly, it can make walking and wearing shoes difficult.
7. Myth: All foot pain is caused by poorly fitting shoes.
   Truth: Foot pain can be caused by shoes that don’t fit correctly but there are a number of medical reasons your feet might hurt that go beyond blisters and calluses, including osteoarthritis, diabetes, foot injuries and gout.
8. Myth: Being overweight doesn’t affect my feet.
   Truth: Carrying even as few as 25 extra pounds does affect the health of your feet. Extra pounds put added pressure on your feet, contributing to the risk of developing osteoarthritis, tendon inflammation and inflammation of the plantar fascia. Also, being overweight increases your risk of developing diseases that can affect your feet, including diabetes, gout and peripheral arterial disease.
9. Myth: Plantar warts are harmless.
   Truth: While plantar warts are caused by a virus they can cause a lot of of pain depending on where they are on your foot.
10. Myth: You shouldn’t wear shoes if you have a foot sprain.
    Truth: Going barefoot or wearing flip-flops can make a sprain worse because you need the added support of a stable and protective shoe in order for your foot to heal.

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 Happy Friday! We just finished out updated shoe list by quad, and this year it includes steel toed boots and kids shoes.

Download the new list on our website

How to Choose the Best Shoes for Your Child

 

Dr. DeCaro discusses the topic of Back-to-School week tips on buying children's shoes on Mass Appeal WWLP.

Buying the proper shoes for your kids can be tricky. According to Louis DeCaro, DPM, sizing is important and kids feet swell, so it’s important to try on shoes at the end of the day. Also, shoe sizes can vary widely – not only by brand but the country the shoe is made in as well.

Look for a firm heel counter, make sure the shoe flexes in the toe box, and look for flexibility in the center. "How a shoe fits is important to a child's foot health," says Dr. DeCaro.

Watch the complete interview here:

https://www.wwlp.com/massappeal/back-to-school-week-tips-on-buying-shoes-for-your-kids/

For more information EMAIL US

Twitter: @LSteps @QuadraSTEPS

FB: @quadrasteps

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