Does Your Child Have Pigeon Toes?

Intoe-ing, or being pigeon-toed, is a common condition among children. This is when the legs are angled inwards like a pigeon, making the child have an awkward posture and possibly causing them to be clumsy as well, with tripping and falling being common sights. It can also be painful for the legs and feet, though these are often dismissed as “growing pains”.

Most cases of pigeon toes resolve themselves with time, as the legs correct their angle over the years. Infants start with their legs rotated inwards, and gradually de-rotate as they begin crawling, standing, then walking. By the time they turn two and a half years old, their legs should look like the picture on the right – reasonably straight with a mild, flat arch.

By the time children reach the age of six, the legs should resemble regular adult legs, and not many rotational changes occur after that. However, in some cases this de-rotation is delayed, and this will result in pigeon toes even at older ages. Fortunately, most cases are treatable, but will require an examination first to assess the severity of the condition and how the treatment should be customized to address it.

Pigeon toes can be detected and measured accurately using the latest EMED scanning technology and clinical measuring devices as shown above.

Treatment using custom-made gait plates (a type of shoe insert) and exercises are very effective when prescribed by a podiatrist with sufficient experience in pediatrics. The child should be monitored every few months for signs of improvement and to ensure no secondary problems from the pigeon toes occurs. Children who are pigeon toes may also have other underlying leg and foot problems that may require treatment too.

While the mild pigeon toes encountered as a child generally resolves on their own, at later ages, it instead has compensated for the misalignment through the spine and pelvis causing other posture problems. If your child is still experiencing in-toeing even after they have started walking fully, or you have now realized that you are still having pigeon toe problems do not hesitate to book a consultation with us to see what should be done

By “young women”, we mean women aged 18-40. Yes, women in their 30s are still considered young! These women are the main target market for pedicures, and while they are a therapeutic activity that can help make your nails and feet prettier, many pedicurists can be overzealous.

Ingrown toenails or onychocryptosis is one of the most painful, yet common foot conditions you can get. Mild cases are irritating at worst, but severe cases can make you jump out of your bed at just the slightest touch of a bedsheet.

Who gets ingrown toenails though, and why? The answer from a practicing podiatrist may surprise you.

Carving out the sides of your nails can make you feel like your nails are cleaner, since it feels like dirt has been taken out. But in reality, excessive cleaning of those areas of skin can actually increase the risk of you getting ingrown toenails. Also, did you know that toenails actually shouldn’t be cut into a rounded shape? They should be cut straight across, to further minimize the chance of getting ingrown toenails.

Pregnant women are also at a higher risk of getting ingrown toenails due to the swelling of their feet inside their shoes, and the increased pressure placed on the feet due to pregnancy. Watch out for your health too when you’re carrying a baby!

Some pedicurists who discover ingrown toenails might also try to remove them on their own. This is a terrible idea. Pedicurists are not foot surgeons, and do not have the proper surgical-grade, sterilized tools nor the skills to cut out the ingrown portions of ingrown toenails.

Improperly done procedures will often leave a painful nail spike in the skin like you see above, and the worst part is that they actually continue growing because they are still attached to the nail root. This is even more painful than having the ingrown toenail, and it can even get infected! We highly recommend going to a proper foot doctor to get your ingrown toenails dealt with – it’s a quick, painless procedure that saves you a lot of grief.