Children with flat feet can experience hip and knee pain. (CBS)
CHICAGO (CBS) – Your aching back, knee-problems and chronic hip pain may trace back to when you were a kid.
Turns out, having flat feet during adolescence can create much bigger health problems later in life. CBS 2′s Mary Kay Kleist introduces us to a young patient who’s taking a big step now to avoid more pain down the road.
Ten-year-old Sydney Richards is walking a little easier these days. But that wasn’t always the case.
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“My foot started hurting and then my knees and then my sides and everything,” Sydney said.
Her father, Gordon Richards, said, “She’d say every once in a while, ‘my ankle hurt, my knee hurt’ and all that. A lot of that was just dismissed as you know like she was running and hurt herself or sprained her ankle.” He also noticed another change. “The one thing that really stuck out was that she would be very fatigued and tired, like she’d want to sleep, a tremendous amount,” he said. Gordon Richards didn’t realize his daughter’s flat feet actually created stress on her body that just wore her out. Some doctors say, when corrected, the knee and hip pain actually go away.
Podiatrist Larry Kosova operated on Sydney’s left foot in December. This month, he will work on her right foot.
Not all children with flat feet need surgery, but those with severe issues might.
“It’s actually dislocation found outside of a joint that’s actually causing the tendon not to fire and not to work properly and it doesn’t hold up the arch properly with the arch and the tendon,” Kosova said.
During surgery, a stent is put into a joint in the back of the foot. With both stents in place, Sydney’s feet will gradually form better arches, making life much easier.
Gordon Richards said: “I don’t know what would exactly have happened in the future, but she could have had to have her knee replaced or her hips or what has basically changed her life. She’s going to have a more fulfilling life than she would have had.”
Sydney Richards said she wants to start running again.
Doctors say some of the warning signs include unusual weight gain, uneven wear on shoes, lack of interest in athletic activities, or consistent fatigue.
Some kids will complain of knee and hip pain. Talk to your child’s pediatrician if you have concerns.
Please call the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center office anytime @702-878-2455 between Monday – Friday and we would be happy to set up an appointment for you. Please visit our website @ www.FallCenter.com or www.walkwithdiabetes.com. The Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has Diagnostic imaging: Digital X-Rays, Ultrasound or Advanced Imaging will be used to aid in the diagnosis.
Dr. Anthony Ricciardi at the Foot, Ankle & Lower Leg Center has completed training in endoscopic/minimally invasive surgery for chronic heel pain and nerve pain, foot and ankle joint replacement for restoring pain free motion, arthroscopic surgery, bunion surgery, fracture repair, flat foot correction, external fixation for complex deformities and extensive experience in peripheral nerve surgery including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and reconstructive surgery of previously failed foot surgical procedures. In addition to his surgical training Dr. Ricciardi focuses on sports medicine of the foot and ankle through regenerative techniques using the patient’s own blood/platelets for healing chronic foot and ankle problems (pain) as a result of repetitive sport injuries. This cutting edge technology enables patients to continue training with little or no down time. Dr. Ricciardi continues to be active in teaching and training other podiatric surgeons on innovative surgical techniques in foot surgery. Dr. Ricciardi is Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and Fellow of the Association of Extremity Nerve Surgeons. Dr. Ricciardi’s vision is to bring each patient the most current state of the Art Technology and personalized treatment options to meet their Foot and Ankle needs (from conservative care to surgical options). Dr. Ricciardi believes in quality service and puts his patients first!
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