I have treated many children with foot problems over the past 26 years. One of the childhood foot problems that I have treated is in-toeing. In-toeing occurs in about 2 out of every 1000 children. Many parents become concerned when they see their child’s feet pointing inwards while walking, especially if it is associated with tripping. Other concerns include the abnormal shoe wear on the outside of the toe box due to scuffing of the toes while walking, the child complaining of being tired after walking or the child asking to be carried instead of walking. My goal as a chiropodist/podiatrist is to inform the concerned parent that in-toeing almost always self corrects as the child grows towards adulthood. If you watch the majority adults walk you will notice their feet will point straight ahead or outward. In-toeing ("pigeon toes") describes a position where the feet turn inward instead of pointing straight ahead during walking or running. In-toeing happens ...

I decided to write about shin splints after discovering it was the most read topic on my website this past month. On reflection, I should not really be surprised, because spring weather leads to increased physical activity and overuse injuries. Shin splints are common among runners, race walkers and individuals who participate in soccer, football, lacrosse and dance. Shin splints are a non specific diagnosis for lower leg pain. One common cause of shin splints is periostitis. Periostitis is an inflammation of the periosteum. The periosteum is a dense connective tissue covering the shin bone or tibia. Periostitis results from an overuse injury that usually develops gradually over a period of weeks to months. Periostitis can also occur after one excessive bout of exercise. The periosteum serves as an attachment site for the muscles originating on the tibia. Muscle overuse causes the periosteum to pull away from the tibia causing inflammation. Periostitis of the tib...