Presentation
This case involves a parent and child from the same family. The child, a junior athlete in a sport with a lot of jumping and landing, had experienced pain on the sole of the foot for nearly two years, and it was affecting their training. Their mother, who brought them in, had her own long-standing ankle and low back pain going back several years.
Approach
For the child, two sessions focused on reassessing how they moved and landed, with movement support. Later, the mother asked for an assessment of her own ankle and low back, and one session focused on her movement and how load was shared through her ankle, hips and back.
What the family reported
The family reported that the child’s foot pain had settled and that they had returned to full training. The mother reported a marked reduction in both her ankle pain and low back pain after her session, and that she had returned to her usual physical activity.
Reflection
Families often share more than a home. They may share activities, footwear habits and ways of moving, so it can be worth asking about other family members’ experiences during history-taking. These are short-term, self-reported changes, and other care and natural recovery may have contributed.
Foot pain in a growing child that is persistent, getting worse, or comes with swelling, limping or night pain should be checked by a GP. Ankle or back pain that is severe, follows an injury, or comes with numbness or weakness also needs medical assessment.
Related case reflections
- Case 35: Childhood Movement Coordination and Avoiding Physical Activity
- Case 10: Long-Standing Low Back Pain and Scar Tissue Movement
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