Children’s feet and ankles
How does the foot and ankle work?
The foot is one of the most complex regions of your body and is made up of 26 bones and 33 small joints.
The ankle joint has 3 bones which make up 2 joints, which allows movement up and down, and side to side.
Both the foot and ankle joints are supported by muscles, tendons and ligaments which provide movement and stability. This allows our foot and ankle to adapt to all type of surfaces.
If your child has fallen or something heavy has landed on their foot and they develop any of the following signs you should urgently call 111 who will triage if your child needs urgent care:
- Sudden onset of pain in the ankle or foot
- Difficulty putting weight through the ankle or foot to stand or walk
- The leg has changed shape or is pointing at an odd angle
- The ankle or foot is immediately swollen
Foot and Ankle Pain
Causes of Pain
Self Help
Causes of Pain
Sometimes foot and ankle pain occurs after a known injury, such as a sprained ankle following a twisting injury or fall.
Sometimes foot and ankle pain can develop without any known injury.
There are some conditions affecting the foot and ankle which are specifically seen in babies, children and young people, such as talipes and heel pain (Sever’s).
Self Help
Keeping active is an essential part of your child’s treatment and recovery and is the single best thing they can do for their health.
Being physically active throughout your recovery can:
- Prevent the problem happening again
- Maintain your child’s current levels of fitness – even if you have to modify what they normally do, any activity is better than none
- Keep your child’s other muscles and joints strong and flexible
- Keep your child at a healthy body weight
- Encourage your child’s ongoing development of important motor skills
Within the first 24 to 48 hours after a foot or ankle problem has started you should try to:
- Rest your child’s foot or ankle but avoid long spells of not moving at all
- Encourage your child to move their foot and ankle gently for 10 to 20 seconds every hour when they are awake
- If you/ your child has had an ankle sprain, the video below will take you through some basic exercises for ankle sprains.
- Encourage your child to slowly return to normal activity
- Do whatever your child normally would including staying at or returning to school if possible
- Avoid sports or heavy lifting until your child has less discomfort and good movement. When they do return to sport, remember to warm up fully before they start.
- Following an ankle sprain, after 48 hours the exercises below can be helpful to restore movement and function.
