Is your child frequently complains of foot pain? Then this may not be just his excuse to skip school, but an actual foot problem like Freiberg’s Disease.  Let’s discuss what this foot problem is and what are its symptoms.

Freiberg’s disease usually develops in the growing phase of children and is categorized under the diseases term as “osteochondrosis”.This disease constitutes avascular necrosis of the second metatarsal head, which means cellular death in the head of the metatarsal bone due to loss of blood flow. It normally affects teenage girls near the growth spurt with a female to male ratio of 5:1. In a developing skeleton, there are series of growth plates in all the bones that help in growth of the bones. Due to repetitive stress on these growth plates, a series of micro-fractures develops in the bone affecting its circulation. It affects the metatarsal head which is just proximal to the toe. The most common bone involved is 2^nd metatarsal head but it may also affect 3^rd metatarsal head as well. It causes flattening of the round metatarsal head that may be the source of pain and eventually lead to arthritis in severe cases. Although repetitive stress has been reported to be one of the factors for the occurrence this foot problem, but according to podiatrists, the actual reason is still not clear and people are researching on this subject. It is also associated with a long 2^nd metatarsal in relation to 1^st metatarsal that puts more stresses on the 2^nd metatarsal head.

Do you know these symptoms signifies a chance of Freiberg’ disease?

• Experiencing extreme pain in the forefoot and especially near the head of the second metatarsal
• Inflammation or swelling in the forefoot
• Limited range of movement
• High heels make the condition worse
• Limping due to intense pain

How to diagnose it?

One should visit an expert and ask for his help. You may be asked to undergo some tests like X-ray or even CT or MRI scan to detect the exact cause of pain.

How to cure it?

Initially, one can try RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) treatment, but only after consultation with your medical expert as eventually, it can become worse if not treated well.

Your foot specialist may recommend rest, steroid injection, and usage of the cast to immobilize the foot during the acute painful episode. An orthosis may be prescribed as well to offload the bone. But in case if the situation is severe then surgical treatment method may be suggested to cure this problem.

In case you have observed that your kid is experiencing the above-listed symptoms, then it is better to consult a medical expert. You can contact Dr. Anuj Chawla, an experienced Foot and ankle specialist in Gurgaon. He has treated many foot problems with effective treatment procedure and has many years of experience in this medical area. He will try his best to cure the foot problem as soon as possible.