What is normal?
A child of this age should be growing out of the knock-knee posture by 7-8 years old. Sudden growth phases or spurts can lead to unusual walking patterns and postures, which while understandable taking into account the resultant tight and weak muscles, does increase the risk of injuries occurring.
What is abnormal?
If your child begins to complain about having pain in their legs or feet, especially during activities or has frequently trips or falls, it may indicate an issue that needs a podiatrist’s assessment. Injuries such as a ‘pulled muscle’ or a ‘rolled ankle’ that occur regularly, especially for no known reason, or an injury that doesn’t fully get better is indications of dysfunction.
Sometimes pain or problems occur in the leg from poor foot function, such as:
knee pain
ankle pain
calf muscle cramps
Treatment can include, stretching and strengthening of muscles, joint mobilisation, taping, footwear modification and orthoses.
WARNING : This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional podiatric advice. Treatment will vary between individuals depending upon your diagnosis and presenting complaint. An accurate diagnosis can only be made following personal consultation with a Podiatrist.