Paediatric Treatment

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the term used to describe a group of conditions that affect the movement of muscles and the posture of the body. The term comes from the area of the brain affected. A large range of bespoke orthotics can enhance function, mobility and reduce pain in cerebral palsy patients.

LOC has developed a reputation in the selective dorsal rhizotomy community for its treatment and management of cerebral palsy patients who have undergone this ground-breaking SDR surgery. Tuned Ankle Foot Orthotics are especially good and we also use DAFOs or Dorsiflexion Assist SMOs to improve alignment and gait.

Pes planus is the loss of the medial longitudinal arch of the foot. Infants typically have a minimal arch, however by the age of 10, children should have developed an anatomical arch structure. If appropriate, bespoke foot orthotics may be prescribed to ease pain and to ensure that other symptoms do not develop.

Hypermobility is the term used to describe the ability to move joints beyond the normal range of motion, a person with this condition is often referred to as being double jointed. It is common in children and adolescents. Bespoke foot orthotics are the recommended treatment option for the majority of patients with hypermobility.

Sever's Disease is a musculoskeletal condition that affects children & adolescents as they grow. Also called calcaneal apophysitis, it is a painful inflammation of the growth plate or epiphyseal plate, in the heel bone. Foot orthotics can help all foot types with a predisposition to Sever’s.

Spina bifida is a birth defect of the neural tube - this later develops to form the spine & nervous system. If it doesn’t form correctly, damage to the spinal cord occurs, causing neurological dysfunctions. Typically in spina bifida, orthotic intervention would be either ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) or knee ankle foot orthoses (KAFOs).

Transverse myelitis is a rare neurological disorder, with around 300 new cases recorded in the UK every year. Treatment can involve activating the muscles through Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), while foot drop can be treated with bespoke Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFO).

Brain injury occurs often after a traumatic event that disrupts the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. At LOC, we offer a range of orthotic treatments for children with this condition such as bespoke AFOs, carried out in conjunction with a gait lab assessment in our gait laboratory.

Pars fracture, or spondylolysis, is a spinal condition characterised by a stress fracture in the pars interarticularis, a small bridge of bone in the vertebral arch. Common in adolescents and athletes, it can cause lower back pain and can be managed through rest, bracing, and physical therapy.