In sports or in everyday life, being able to do what you want without pain is the goal.
Here is a checklist before fall kicks in.
The Knee, ankle, and shoe inspection.
Knee Angle
Watch the knee angle. When looking straight at the legs, are they even or does the knee bend in?
This is called the Q-angle. The inward knees are quite normal in adolescence girls. The inward knees are from the hips aligning in the developing female pelvis. That’s ok as long as the arches are supporting body weight properly.
To figure this out, look at the ankles and arches. The ankle should be straight up and down, inline with the leg. If the arch is not supporting the ankle in proper alignment, you may need arch support. Check this on yourself and your children.
Shoe Size
Check the shoe size. Between the tip of the shoe and the big toe, there should be a 3/8 inch open space. If the toe is right on the shoe, we’ve grown. This happens easily as shoe sizing changes from company to company and it easily slips by us. And, kids grow in spurts.
Shin splints can also be a sign that the feet and arches need support. Anyone who runs with a pounding stride will need extra cushioning foam support to dissipate the compression.
Spend extra time with your self evaluation of the arches. Sports are played to win and we all want to be pain free.
Get a Free weight bearing scan to make sure the arches are doing their job properly.
The below link is to the website for more information on the scanning process.
https://www.drmcguckin-frankfort.com/orthotics/