Foot and Leg Pain Centre
Leading Children's Podiatrists Arcadia
Nurturing little feet with every step
Paediatric Podiatrist
Does your little one regularly mention discomfort in their feet or legs?
As the owner and Certified Sports Podiatrist at the Foot and Leg Pain Centre near Arcadia, Dr Angus Chard PhD has a particular passion for children’s podiatry. His Doctorate in Lower-Limb and Foot Musculoskeletal Medicine, with a focus on Paediatric and Sports Injuries, makes him highly qualified in treating children’s foot and leg conditions. Dr Chard oversees every treatment at the clinic, ensuring that his team of podiatrists, who also prioritise children’s podiatry, deliver exceptional care tailored to young patients.
Paediatric Podiatrist Arcadia
A medical setting can feel daunting for children, which is why we aim to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that each child feels at ease and receives exceptional care during their visit.
Michael Chard, a Licensed Service Dog, is known for his ability to provide emotional support through his calming presence and cuddles. His gentle nature helps children feel at ease and offers comfort to anyone in need.
How We Support You
Flat Feet
Flat feet in young children, often identified after 18 months, are a common occurrence and tend to resolve naturally over time. However, in some instances, they persist and can lead to lifelong challenges. Early evaluation is crucial, similar to regular eye or dental check-ups, to catch conditions that may require intervention. Once assessed, children can be tracked to ensure they develop normally.
Intoe Walking
Pigeon toes, or intoe walking, frequently occur in young children and typically improve naturally by the age of 4. In cases where it continues beyond this point, it may cause instability, pain, or altered movement. Taking early action can promote healthy development and prevent future complications.
Toe Walking
Persisting toe walking after age 4, while common in toddlers, can suggest muscle tightness or neurological challenges. Over time, this can lead to joint pain and discomfort in the knees or lower back. An early evaluation helps prevent complications, ensuring your child’s healthy development and comfort.
Late or Non Walkers
Children who haven’t started walking by 18 months may face underlying foot or leg challenges. Early assessment and periodic measurements help track and support their developmental milestones.
Banana Foot
Banana foot (metatarsus adductus) causes a curved appearance in the feet, often due to foetal positioning and intrauterine pressure. While it may self-correct by age 4, interventions become less effective after age 2, making early detection crucial. If left untreated, it can develop into a structural issue, leading to various aches and discomfort.
Growing Pains
Leg pain following a growth spurt may be expected for a few weeks, but pain lasting more than two months is not normal. Experts identify these cases as muscle overuse syndromes that can be managed effectively. Children shouldn’t have to endure pain during growth, as the concept of growing pains is unsupported by evidence.
Severs
Heel pain caused by Sever’s disease often affects children aged 7–12 during growth spurts. Although commonly seen in active children, inactive children are not immune to this condition. Treatment usually involves addressing the structural imbalances behind the pain, offering relief for both active and inactive children.
Vertical Talus
Flat feet, occasionally due to a vertically aligned talus (talipes calcaneovalgus), can affect children’s development. Although it often improves on its own, some cases persist into adolescence or adulthood, leading to reduced foot strength and potential complications. Identifying this condition early can help children meet milestones like climbing stairs and running.
Foot And Leg Pain Centre
Sydney's Premier Children's Foot Specialist
During a toddler’s growth, their legs and feet undergo significant transformations. Regular monitoring helps detect problems early, enabling prompt care. Healthy adult legs begin with proactive measures in childhood — ensure your child’s development is on the right track.
1-2 years
At this stage, we focus on tracking your baby’s development into a toddler, paying special attention to their foot structure and milestones like crawling, standing, and walking. Early intervention helps ensure healthy growth.
2-3 years
During this time, we assess your toddler’s early walking, posture, and balance, identifying issues such as excessively flat feet. With expert advice, we help foster healthy movement as your child explores and grows.
4-6 years
As activity levels increase, we monitor for common foot concerns, such as flat feet, in-toeing, or toe walking, and address any clumsiness. This ensures your child’s feet develop correctly, allowing them to stay active with confidence.
Paediatric Assessment
Big care for tiny feet – make your little one’s podiatry appointment today.
Foot And Leg Pain Centre
Guiding your child’s journey to growth
Growing bodies may experience achy legs, postural concerns, or structural issues in the feet and legs. Detecting these early promotes healthy development and ensures kids can stay active with their peers.
The Foot and Leg Pain Centre is dedicated to promoting early care for proper development.
Your First Visit
We aim to make your child’s first visit enjoyable, with a complete assessment of their foot health in a comfortable and supportive setting for you and your child.
Treatment
Our treatments are personalised for your child, emphasising targeted approaches to promote proper foot development and ease any pain they may be experiencing.
Working Towards Your Outcomes
Our mission is to provide your child with the best care, fostering improved foot health and confidence so they can stay active, happy, and ready to explore.
Why Choose Us
Your Trusted Team for Support
Dr Angus Chard, PhD, is an acclaimed Certified Sports Podiatrist with a global reputation, bringing years of clinical knowledge to his leadership of a collaborative team.
Focused on Assistance
The Foot and Leg Pain Centre team works tirelessly to assist people of all ages, including children, in reaching their goals and managing their pain effectively.
Evidence-Based Care
Our warm demeanour and ability to put children at ease are paired with treatments grounded in both scientific research and practical experience. We provide clear facts and options, fostering a patient-centred, relaxed environment.
Helping Little Feet And Legs
At Foot and Leg Pain Centre, we provide a variety of treatment options. The best approach for your child will depend on factors like the location, type, and cause of their pain.
3D printed custom orthotics may be helpful for some children, whereas others might need regular monitoring, footwear recommendations, strengthening exercises, posture and biomechanical assessments, manual rehabilitation, or technique corrections for walking and running.
Meet Our Founder
Dr. Angus Chard PhD
Dr Angus Chard PhD, Certified Sports Podiatrist and Founder of our centre, brings over 32 years of experience, dedicated to providing young patients with a blend of evidence-driven and effective care.
Healthy feet mean happy kids – schedule an appointment with Dr Angus Chard PhD or one of our skilled podiatrists near Arcadia today.
Meet The Team
Michelle Cuthbert
Michelle Cuthbert brings 20+ years of podiatry experience and a strong focus on children’s foot care. As a runner, she appreciates the need for early intervention and, as a mother of two, is deeply committed to helping children flourish through personalised treatment.
Thomas Shannon
Thomas Shannon, a talented podiatrist and elite athlete, has a strong interest in paediatric lower limb care. Leveraging his expertise in strength, conditioning, and athletics, he provides tailored care for young patients. Thomas proudly represented Australia in hammer throw and Olympic weightlifting.
Foot And Leg Pain Centre
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Paediatric Assessment
Tiny feet deserve big care – schedule your little one’s podiatry appointment today.
Foot And Leg Pain Centre
Frequently Asked Questions
In certain cases, yes, but an initial assessment ensures their progress is monitored effectively. Ignoring issues could result in prolonged discomfort and missed treatment opportunities, as not all conditions resolve on their own. Podiatry can provide the support needed to prevent pain and promote healthy development.
It’s common for children to experience occasional activity-related aches similar to adults, but persistent tired, achy legs and feet are not normal. Persistent growing pains can be effectively managed by identifying and addressing the root cause of muscle overuse.
Children with flat feet are known to tire easily during physical activities and may develop irregular knee and ankle motions. Arches typically mature by age eight, but 39% of adolescents with flat feet risk knee pain, and 35% may face hip or back problems. By age four, walking patterns mature, and neglecting foot abnormalities can cause conditions like toe-walking or pigeon-toeing to persist into adulthood.
The sooner your child is assessed, the better. At their first appointment, we’ll measure and evaluate their feet and legs with a detailed biomechanical analysis and gait assessment. This initial check allows for ongoing monitoring to ensure healthy growth. Structural abnormalities and foot pain can affect children of all ages, so early intervention by a trusted professional is key.
No, a referral is not needed to book a podiatry appointment regardless of age or purpose. You can schedule your appointment online or contact the practice directly, and we’ll take care of everything during your first assessment.
We recommend parents have their child’s feet checked at least once, just like regular eye or dental check-ups. If your child has foot or leg pain, we’re here to help. Unsure? An initial assessment will pinpoint the issue and guide the next steps. For emergencies, always dial 000.
Properly fitted children’s shoes should always offer comfort, with adequate length, width, and room for toes. Evidence highlights that barefoot walking fosters healthier and stronger feet. The natural contact with the ground activates muscles essential for development, but even the most minimalist shoes can interrupt this process.
The appropriate footwear for your child varies based on their goals. In some cases, minimalist, flexible shoes are ideal, while others require supportive footwear with tailored levels of structure. Opt for shoes with flat, flexible soles that bend at the toe and a wider front than heel. Laces or straps are essential to keep the shoes snug and prevent unnecessary movement.
With Dr Angus Chard PhD at the helm, the Foot and Leg Pain Centre team combines expertise, qualifications, and partnerships with shoe retailers and manufacturers to assist you in navigating footwear options. For advice tailored to your child’s foot care, consult with our podiatrists today.
Of course, we do. But we also believe in combining evidence with clinical experience for the best outcomes. Blindly following evidence alone doesn’t always address individual needs. Here are the references for the details provided on this page.
- Alfaro-Santafé, J., et al. (2021). “Effectiveness of Custom-Made Foot Orthoses vs. Heel-Lifts in Children with Calcaneal Apophysitis (Sever’s Disease): A CONSORT-Compliant Randomized Trial.” Children 8(11): 963.
- Bleck, E. E. (1983). “Metatarsus adductus: Classification and relationship to outcomes of treatment.” Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 3(1): 2-9.
- Chard, A., et al. (2011). Effect Thong Style Flip-Flop Footwear On Children’s Hallux Sagittal Plane Motion During Gait. International Society of Biomechanics, Brussels, Belgium, publisher.
- Chard, A., et al. (2012). “Effect of thong style flip-flops on children’s midfoot motion during gait.” Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 5(Suppl 1): O19.
- Smith, R., et al. (2012). “Biomechanics of footwear design.” Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 5(Suppl 1): I1.
- Chard, A., et al. (2013). “Effect of thong style flip-flops on children’s barefoot walking and jogging kinematics.” Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 6(1): 8.
- Chard, A., et al. (2015). Effect of thong style flip flops on children’s sidestep kinematics International Society of Biomechanics in Sport, Poitiers, France, Sports Biomechanics.
- Chard, B.A., The effect of unsupportive and supportive footwear on children’s multi-segment foot dynamics during gait. 2017. USYD Thesis – DOWNLAOD HERE http://hdl.handle.net/2123/18659
- Gijon-Nogueron, G., et al. (2016). “Establishing normative foot posture index values for the paediatric population: A cross-sectional study.” Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 9(1): 1.
- Kothari, A., et al., Are flexible flat feet associated with proximal joint problems in children? Gait and Posture, 2016. 45: p. 204-210.
- Lin, C.-J., et al., Correlating factors and clinical significance of flexible flatfoot in preschool children. Journal of pediatric orthopaedics, 2001. 21(3): p. 378-382.
- Mauch, M., et al. (2008). “Foot morphology of normal, underweight and overweight children.” International Journal of Obesity 32(7): 1068-1075.
- McKay, M. J., et al. (2015). “1000 Norms Project: protocol of a cross-sectional study cataloging human variation.” Physiotherapy.
- Mickle, K. J., et al. (2006). “The feet of overweight and obese young children: Are they flat or fat?” Obesity 14(11): 1949-1953.
- Mudge, A. J., et al. (2014). “Normative reference values for lower limb joint range, bone torsion, and alignment in children aged 4-16 years.” Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics Part B 23(1): 15-25.
- Redmond A, Crane Y, Menz H. Normative values for the Foot Posture Index. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research. 2008;1(1):6.
- Sanders, R., Orr, R., Chiu, C., Chard, A., Tompsett, C., Fleeton, J., Davies, T., Fong Yan, A. (2018). Development of talent of adolescents in Australian sports high schools. In Pedro Morouço, Portugal: ESECS/Instituto Politcnico de Leiria.
- Staheli, L., et al. (1985). “Lower-extremity rotational problems in children. Normal values to guide management.” J Bone Joint Surg Am 67(1): 39-47.
- Sutherland, D. H. (2001). “The evolution of clinical gait analysis part l: kinesiological EMG.” Gait & Posture 14(1): 61-70.
- Sutherland, D. H. (2002). “The evolution of clinical gait analysis: Part II Kinematics.” Gait & Posture 16(2): 159-179.
- Sutherland, D. H. (2005). “The evolution of clinical gait analysis part III – kinetics and energy assessment.” Gait & Posture 21(4): 447-461.
- Wegener C, et al. (2011). “Effect of children’s shoes on gait: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 4(3).
- Wegener, C., et al. (2013). “Effect of sports shoes on children’s vertical jump performance and midfoot and ankle kinetics.” Footwear Science 5(SUPPL. 1): S58-S59.
- Wegener, C., et al. (2013). “Effect of sports shoes on midfoot power generation in children while walking and running.” Footwear Science 5(sup1): S55-S56.
- Wegener, C., et al. (2015). “In-shoe multi-segment foot kinematics of children during the propulsive phase of walking and running.” Human Movement Science 39: 200-211.
As an audited NDIS provider, we proudly accept all NDIS patients, whether they are NDIS-managed, agency-managed, or self-managed. We emphasise individualised care and understand that certain appointments may require additional time and attention. Whether it’s touch sensitivity, wheelchair assistance, or other unique needs, we are well-equipped to provide support.
We are trusted by thousands of happy patients and our results speak for themselves
