It’s back-to-school time again! If you think summer went by way too fast, we’re feeling the same way, too. As students and parents prepare for a new season of early morning, homework, and tons of extracurriculars, it’s time for us to share our seasonal reminders. We care about your foot health, and we know how foot pain can become a family affair.
Dr. Brett Stark of Auburn Foot Care Center enjoys helping families stay one step ahead of foot conditions that can affect the school-age children in the family. One of the best tips he recommends is for parents to schedule a time to check in on their child’s foot health.
When doing a check-in on foot care, here are three words to focus on: size, support, and symptoms. Each one of these words can help you identify any weaknesses in your back-to-school foot care routine.
Follow along for a few examples:
Size
You may think your child is wearing the right size in their shoes, but have you checked? First, ask a question about how your child feels while wearing the shoes, including running and walking. While getting those answers, prepare to make a trip to a shoe store. Request a Brannock Device, which is the go-to tool for accurately measuring feet. It’s great for making sure your child is wearing their right size in sports shoes, too.
Support
Have you taken a closer look at your child’s shoes? Look at the top, bottom, and sides of the shoes. Are the shoelaces holding up? Are there holes in the bottom of the shoes or anywhere else? We understand buying shoes is costly, but we encourage you to act if you see normal wear-and-tear.
Symptoms
For the child who is always running, are they sitting down more often? Ask them questions. There is a chance they are having problems with their shoes and don’t know how to express their discomfort. Look for blisters, calluses, corns, or even redness on their feet after removing shoes. Listen to your child as they talk about foot pain. We’re here to listen, too.
At Auburn Foot Care Center, Dr. Brett Stark, our board-certified podiatrist, treats a variety of conditions such as diabetic foot care, sports injuries, bunions, ingrown toenails, arthritis, and pediatric foot care. We provide quality service and advanced technology care for patients in Lee County. Contact our office at 334-466-1401. We are in Auburn, Alabama. Our address is 1559 Professional Parkway. We also offer telemedicine appointments.
