Our feet carry the weight of our bodies all day long, and therefore, foot pain is a common complaint. Most of the time, foot pain is due to simple causes. The problem can be identified quite easily and treatment is sought. However, in some cases, foot pain can be due to unusual or hard-to-diagnose conditions that can cause significant discomfort. These rare foot disorders need extra attention to both identify them and get the treatment they need.
Three Rare Foot Disorders and How to Spot Them
Three unusual lower limb conditions that cause pain, mobility issues, and even deformities, are Kohler’s disease, Freiberg’s disease, and Maffucci syndrome. They are bone-related problems that mostly affect children or teenagers.
The symptoms of these three rare foot disorders can be similar to common foot ailments and are often missed or misdiagnosed. These early warning signs can help you recognize these conditions and get specialized treatment.
- Kohler’s Disease – This is caused by the deterioration of the arch bone. It affects young boys and is caused by an interruption of blood supply.
- Symptoms to Watch-out for – Swelling, redness, tenderness, limping and pain under pressure.
- Freiberg’s Disease – Deterioration and flattening of the metatarsal heads in the ball of the foot causes this condition. It mostly affects pre-teen to teenage girls.
- Symptoms to Watch-out for – Pain when walking, stiffness in the affected toe, swelling, and limping.
- Maffucci Syndrome – The long bones in a child’s feet develop abnormal bone lesions called enchondromas. This condition usually affects very young children.
- Symptoms to Watch-out for – Bones are more prone to breaks, vascular lesions under the skin, and lumpy knots within the lesions.
When to See a Doctor
If your child suffers from any of the above symptoms and normal remedies do not help, it is better to take him to a podiatrist. The podiatrist will use diagnostic images to identify these rare foot conditions.
Signs of Rare Foot Conditions
Kohler’s Disease – Images will show the arch bone breaking down with patchy areas of dense tissue.
Freiberg’s Disease – Images will show metatarsal heads that appear flatter than they should.
Maffucci Syndrome – Small lesions on long bones that create odd bumps will show up on images.
While rare foot disorders are hard to identify, good podiatrists for rare foot conditions in Los Altos will be able to get to the root of the problem and find an effective solution for treating rare foot conditions in Los Altos.