Finesse Footcare says every parent should be on their toes when it comes to kids and foot health

By Patricia Nugent

Just like adults, children can suffer from painful ailments of the foot and ankle. Many are the result of growth shifts. Dr. Danielle Shaper, founder of Finesse Footcare in Lyndhurst, is specially trained in pediatric care.

“Whenever a child is suffering from even mild pain in their feet, it’s important for them to be treated,” she says.

Through state-of-the-art digital X-rays, Dr. Shaper can get a clear picture of each patient’s foot structure in an effort to pinpoint a diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment.

“One of the most common nagging issues I see is ingrown toenails,” she says.

Treatment includes gently incising the infected section of the nail, then prescribing topical antibiotic cream as a follow-up.

“Since this is often a recurring issue, for prevention I recommend not cutting the nails too short,” she says. “And have your kids untie and retie their shoes when taking them on and off. Many of them don’t do this, and shove their feet in and out, which causes friction on the toenails.”

Another difficult condition to cure in kids is toenail fungus. Luckily, Dr. Shaper can use the Lunula laser on kids of all ages (including her own six-year-old daughter). The FDA-cleared cold laser has been shown to be effective at treating toenail fungus.

An often-painful growth-related common condition is Sever’s disease.

“It occurs when the Achilles tendon attached to the back of the heel pulls on the developing growth plate, or cartilage, near the end of the heel bone,” she explains. “This causes swelling and inflammation, especially in kids ages nine to 15, and those who are active in sports. It happens more commonly during growth spurts. If your child complains of heel pain, or you notice them limping or walking on their tiptoes, they should be assessed by a doctor.”

Treatment ranges from doing a stretching exercise regimen at home to taking anti-inflammatories and icing or immobilizing the foot in a boot until the condition passes, which is usually several weeks.

For teens, two of the most common overuse injuries are heel pain and shin splints. They are both caused by repetitively using the same parts of the body, for instance overtraining during a sports season doing the same activity.

“Many of these chronic injuries can be prevented with the proper footwear,” says Dr. Shaper. “I see so many kids today wearing non-supportive, flat-footed sneakers that are not flexible. And stretching properly before any physical activity is always helpful.”

Correcting the Biomechanics
“Since children’s feet are always growing and changing, they are excellent candidates for corrective custom orthotics,” she says. “I’ve used orthotics on kids as young as seven to help improve the biomechanics of the foot, realign their feet, and balance and stabilize their gait. Orthotics can facilitate development of the foot’s structure and prevent other issues into adulthood, such as flat feet. And teens can benefit from orthotics to boost performance in sports, preventing things like rolling their ankles during a game, if there’s a weakness on one side of the ankle.”

In addition to these issues, Dr. Shaper conservatively treats most ailments of the foot and ankle for patients of all ages, including toenail fungus, ingrown toenails, bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, corns, warts, calluses, sprained ankles, diabetic footcare and spurs.

Finesse Footcare is located at 5035 Mayfield Road, Suite 202, in Lyndhurst. Insurance does not cover Shockwave therapy or laser therapy. Financing options are available. Call 216-382-8070 or visit FinesseFootcare.com for more information.