The Best Orthotic Equipment for Children

Pediatric orthotic equipment includes a range of splints and insoles that are designed to support the correct function of the child’s lower feet and legs. These types of orthotics may be used to treat various foot problems like:

• Common biomechanical foot problems such as under or over pronation. Pronation is the normal movement your foot makes to absorb the impact from running or walking. It happens when your heel strikes the ground and your foot disperses the impact, flattening and stretching the arch as your foot rolls inward.
• Part of a treatment plant to promote muscle and joint stability in children who have low muscle tone like those diagnosed with Down’s syndrome or for prematurely born children.

Orthotic equipment can be over-the-counter or custom-made for the child. Which device is best depends on what the underlying muscle or foot issue the child is experiencing. Most of these devices are worn throughout the day inside their shoes. Over-the-counter and custom-made devices are usually comfortable to wear and when using either they can help to prevent the muscle stiffness that is typically experienced by children with muscle or biomechanical issues with their feet. You can find many different kinds of pediatric orthotic equipment that address different types of childhood muscle, gait, or foot issues.

Young children experience many developmental changes as they age. Under the age of seven children tend to have flat feet, which many outgrow. There are some specialists that will argue that it is best not to alter the alignment of a child’s foot under the age of seven who have minor biomechanical disorders by using orthotics. If the child is over seven years of age then orthotic equipment may be used to correct misalignments that come from common issues. The pediatrician or podiatrist is the ones that would assess the child’s gait and offer recommendations for orthotics if necessary.

There are circumstances in which early orthotic intervention is important. In some circumstances they can be used by children as young as two years of age. This would apply to children who have developmental disabilities, motor disorders, or muscle tone issues, such as in cerebral palsy. In these instances custom-made orthotic equipment would be the best choice. The child would have a biomechanical assessment done on their feet to help the specialist custom-design the pediatric orthotics that would best help the child with their feet issues. Using these custom-made orthotics can help maintain the proper alignment of the child’s feet and legs during their growth and development.

As a child grows so does the anatomy and size of their feet so it is very important if your child wears orthotic equipment that yearly assessments by their pediatrician or podiatrist are done.