Running with a club foot
(6 posts) (6 voices)-
My son, Carson, is 2 1/2. He was born with a left club foot. We did the casts for the first 6 months of his life and then he had the surgery to stretch his achilles tendon. He didn't walk until he was almost 2. He now is really getting around and has started to run. He looks like he is limping or dragging that left foot when he runs. He doesn't appear to be in pain but my concern is that he is in pain and can't tell me since he is so young. I also am wondering if this habit will continue as he gets older or if this is something he will grow out of. Did anyone experience this themselves or with a child? Thanks so much.Posted 9 months ago #
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1st i would like to say the old saying "mummy know best" is never more usefull then it is here. if your treasure was in pain you would know it might be a look, a fist he makes only when he falls down and bumps his bum. the truth be told mum and dad know if your really worried speak to a gp/physio etc. in my experience limps/ dragging of the foot doesn't always mean it painful when walking some occasions its tendons(over tightened/lengthened ive had this done more then once)/muscles/knees and in others its laziness i know when im having a bad day ie pain or i just cant be bothered or even get distracted i limp and/or drag my feet. the fact that your asking means your doing the right thing and i promise you he will thank you for it, i do with my mum.
i hope it helps.
all the best tomPosted 9 months ago # -
Carson's Mom,
I had a similar experience as a child with the right foot. Everything from the tendon surgery and months of casting, with a delay in walking, smaller foot, calf, and leg length. I was about the same age as Carson when my dad noticed a "limp" in my gait. However, I never really showed any discomfort. My parents took me to the doc and found out I had dislocated the same hip as the club foot. I was prone to that into my teenage years since the tendons and ligament were slightly stretched. The doc's reasoning was that when I was casted I would drag the leg and did not use it to crawl and that action with the added weight of the cast lengthened everything in the hip. Whenever I looked "off" when I walked or ran it was usually the hip.
The Ortho told my parents to enroll me in a dance studio as soon as anyone would take me (I was 3). He told the family that it would be the best physical therapy to strengthen the foot and leg, increase flexibility, and develop the foot and calf that I could do. I danced tap, jazz, and ballet (not point until years later) with that studio for ten years with my regular exercises at home. The ballet made the difference in teaching me how to use the club foot as close to the normal foot, but the tap (socially okay for a boy) made the biggest difference in the use of the ankle and building the calf.
In middle school I wanted to try track and got cleared to do hurdles. I was so "normal leg" strong that I landed with the club foot which kicked off tendonitis of the altered Achilles. Back to the dance studio for rehab. In high school I had learned how to really focus on my form (greatly helped by all the dance instruction) and keep myself as balanced and even as I could. By the end of high school I was running 5Ks and was picked up on a scholarship from the Marine Corps. During my physical for the military the doc stated that I had more flexibility and strength in the club foot than most "normal' people have.
Also all during my teenage and adult years I rode horses. That was a huge helping in the sustained stretch for the leg. And I notice a big difference if I don't ride for a few weeks.
Now in my thirties, I am horridly stiff in the morning (about the first six steps or so but without pain) until the foot and leg warm up. However, I still dance now and then and train with my husband for triathlons. I have become a huge fan of the Five Finger Shoes and wear them almost everywhere and they are all I run in anymore. They are comfortable, with my crooked (from casting) toes and all. Just like when I was younger I have to focus on proper form, but they do a great job of keeping the foot and ankle strong and flexible. I wish they would have been out when I was younger because I think it would have kept my tendonitis at bay. However, they are very size specific and as a child I was two shoe sizes different and now I am less and a half a size.
So if it hadn't been for a parent with a watchful eye that I wasn't moving right I may have ended up with arthritis in the hips and miserable. So stick with your gut and get Carson checked out. However, don't ever let the club foot be a hindrance for him in the activities he wants to do later. I was glad that my parents acted quickly when I was younger and got me into things like dance and horseback riding that has had huge benefits in foot and leg development that have allowed me to lead quite a "normal" life and allowed me the ability to do or try anything I wanted as I was growing up.Posted 9 months ago # -
I was born with a club right foot, it required 7 surgeries and casting until I was 5 years old (thank god for public healthcare in Canada). I was told as a child that I would never play sports like hockey, down hill skiing or maybe even run.
My parents never gave up on me so they knew I needed good leg strength if I was to do any sports later in life. They signed me up for swimming lessons and took me cross country skiing. As I grew I developed good strength in my legs. I was able to play hockey, ski, snowboard and I am training for a 1/2 marathon.
Up to two years ago I could bearly run 2km because my right foot would prone inwards. This would cause arch and knee pain which kept me from running. The problem I realized was that regular footed peoples shoes suck. All the foot wear for the other sports I was doing has great suport that countered the proning of the hobit (the nickname I gave to my club foot).
While looking for new gym shoes I thought I would spend the most money I could on a pair of shoes. The particular store I was in had this brand of shoe I never tried on before, Asics. So I left the store with a pair of their kayano 16s, and $200 poorer. Best decision of my life, that day I was able to run until I was exhausted instead of giving up from the pain.
I now have a running pair and daily walking pair. I have yet to wear a pair out or have foot pain when they are on. The denser foam in the arch forces the foot to roll out instead of in.
Asics are for club foot running, all the way.Posted 8 months ago # -
Hi
My son is now 9 but when he was 7 I took him to the doctors because he kept falling over all the time - ripping his trousers, cutting/hurting himself etc.
They then referred him for physio which really helped him, and helped him learn to pick his left foot up, and follow it through as he was running.
He's now a lot better in his running - it may be a bit early for your son, but see what you doctor says and asked to be referred.
SuePosted 8 months ago # -
Hi!
I am a female, aged 32, with a club foot - four surgeries from ages 7 weeks through 8 years old. I still walk with a limp but it is not painful - just a leg length issue, as well as consistently have tight joints/ligaments on my left side. I think it becomes less noticeable with age, as your body adjusts to the differences. Physical therapy may help, both in teaching him mechanics as well as certain stretches that will help!
I will also say that like many of the posts above, I was athletic and told to stay away from impact sports. I started swimming and made my way through college with it. Post-college I decided to try running. Now 12 years, 15 marathons, and a few Ironman triathlons later, I am so glad I decided to not put limits on what I can or cannot do. Stay positive!
Posted 6 months ago #
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