Apparently my DC needs to see a foot doctor????

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We had the very last appointment at my GP before lockdown. My DC had a pre booked appointment for pain in his feet and ankles. He is now 11. The Doctor turned him around and asked me to look at his feet. His feet were both turned in quite drastically (pronated?) and his ankles stuck out. The doctor said it is not a deformity, but he needs to go to a specialist to have innersoles and perhaps physio. It was all a bit rushed as the doctor was shutting up shop for the Coronavirus lockdown, but it was clear my DS had serious foot problems.

Lockdown has been a bit of a nightmare because DS has not been at school, burning off beans and he has not been at his swim club which kept him fit. I took him for a couple fo runs but it was too painful and even cycling and country walks was a bit painful too. His fitness and weight have suffered in the past 4 months and he is really upset at putting on more weight.

I desperately need to get this sorted. I am not sure where to start. Is this something that needs a referral (I have Bupa cover for him). What type of specialist am I looking at?

For insoles I would have thought a podiatrist/chiropodist.

Didn’t answer what to do about it.

You could phone your gp and ask them to refer.
Or you can go private, will be a few hundred pounds by the time you have included insoles which will be £250 ish.

He needs to see a podiatrist. They’ll assess him and take plaster moulds of his feet and fit his insoles to his specific measurements.

This will bring his ankles back into alignment. It will hurt for the first few weeks (as his muscles won’t be used to being in that position) but it will make a huge difference to him.

Don’t let him wear flip flops or totally flat shoes with no inner support - he needs the inner support.

The doctor said it is not a deformity, but he needs to go to a specialist to have innersoles and perhaps physio

Call the GP and ask if a referral has been made?

You're looking for a podiatrist.

My DS's problems started at about the same age though apparently he'd always had flat feet (and one leg is slightly longer than the other).

He has had to have new insoles every 2 shoe sizes (£400/pair) and it's sorted out the pain in his feet/ankles when he's running. Thankfully he'd just got a new pair before lockdown.

chase the GP for the referal!

Sounds like he needs a podiatrist, but can you not contact the GP to clarify?

I had very similar symptoms from around 11, I didn't see a podiatrist (privately ) until I was 15. When I did it changed my life, I'm 30 now and still wear them (remoulded at around 25) and am much more aware of what constitutes a supportive shoe for me, I've also got vionic shoes (have a google) which have built in support.
For me, exercise has been key to keeping myself able to move- strong muscles hold joints together and can really help - night also be worth asking about hyper mobility as the two often go hand in hand! Good luck!

Thanks, I will call the GP and chase up. I thought it would be better to know myself what I am dealing with. At our GP appointment the Doctor did nothing as she was really flustered about closing the surgery with the imminent lockdown. She tried to call me to cancel our appointment but I had my phone off. She made no referral, just told me to deal with it after lockdown.

As I left with my then 10-year old son she turned to me and said "go home and stay inside. You do know we are all going to get this virus and maybe die. I may already have it". As you can see, I didn't push it on the ankle issue faced with this!

It’s honestly nothing to get worked up about. You need a podiatry referral and this should be done via your GP. How long it takes will depend on your area and whether it was sent before lockdown, or if you have to chase it now.

The first step would be to contact your GP to see if a referral has been made. If it has, then contact the centre your DC has been referred to and ask how long the waiting list currently is. If it hasn’t, then chase them up and ensure it is made ASAP.

When your DC is seen for the first time they will have an assessment that could take up to an hour. They will be asked to walk barefooted and wearing shorts preferably so the podiatrist can watch not only the feet, but the ankles and calf muscles too. Their feet will also be manipulated to see how mobile they are and checked for calf tightness most likely. My DS says it’s a bit achy after a check up but not sore.

They may or may not take moulds of the feet - sometimes it’s not necessary. You will either be given insoles on the day, or they will be specially made for your DC. You’ll also be given a ton of strengthening exercises to do which are vital. They are painful at first and can be a hassle to remember to do them daily/twice daily/three times daily but well worth the effort.

FWIW my DS is hypermobile and completely flat footed. His calves remain tight despite him being rigorous with his exercises, although they have improved. He was in a fair amount of pain when he first went to podiatry and he walked on the balls of his feet (or bounced rather - never put his heels down) but now he runs 25-30k a week pain free and knows exactly which shoes are good for him to wear. Even with his insoles, he still has to choose supportive shoes and he knows himself what works and what doesn’t.

School shoes are the hardest to get for him but no shoes are cheap. You just can’t buy crap shoes when you have these issues.

Cross posted. I would also be making a complaint to your surgery about the gp you saw before lockdown. Not necessarily because the referral hasn’t been done - a lot of things have been delayed due to lockdown and I get it. However, no matter how stressed they were, they should not have spoken to you or to a child in the way they did. It was completely inappropriate and unprofessional. (And I say that as someone who is married to a GP and has 2 other family members who are also GPs so I know what they’ve been through the last few months - it’s been hell, but I know NONE of them, and NONE of my DH’s colleagues would ever have spoken to a patient like that.)