The road back to school and sport - How can my child avoid the pitfalls of pre-season training?

October 15, 2020

Thankfully we seem to be over the initial threat of COVID-19 and as things return to some semblance of normal and some restrictions are relaxed, we hopefully will see a return to team sport for our kids. 

And because the usual pre-season training didn’t get a chance to take place, our kids may be wanting to take off full throttle. At Junction Foot and Ankle Group we know all about overuse injuries which can occur in kids just as well as adults. These can be quite painful and distressing for your young athlete.

It's important parents and coaches transition kids into team sports with ease. Despite the many opportunities for online exercise which our kids may have been involved with over the last few weeks, most of them have come off the back of a lazy period, where they have been relaxing, eating you out of house and home and growing like weeds. Soon they may get the call to front up to training and everyone will be super keen to get back into shape.

To understand what is happening we need to unpack the relationship between training and children a bit more.

Training Load
Load is the term we use for the amount of activity performed. Risk of injury increases with quite small changes in load. A recent high-quality review paper (Windt, J & Gabbett, T, 2017) reinforced the traditional view that when weekly load changes by 10-15% there is a significant increase in injury risk.

Children
Children typically have two growth spurts. When this occurs their bones grow rapidly, the soft tissues around those bones adapt and lengthen over the next couple of months. While the soft tissues are catching up, they are under slightly more stress.
The perfect storm happens when kids start pre-season training after a summer of inactivity whilst undergoing a growth spurt. The two most common injuries in this situation are:

  • Sever’s disease – or heel pain in kids, and
  • Osgood Schlatter’s disease – or knee pain in kids

Both these conditions are the same problem occurring in different locations. Despite their scary name, they are definitely not diseases.

The Nail That Wouldn’t Behave – A Story About Ingrown Toenails

By Asha Curry • September 2, 2025
Meet Jack. He’s 14, loves soccer, and spends most afternoons running around the pitch with his mates. But for the last couple of years, he’s been hobbling more than sprinting. The culprit? A troublesome toenail on his big toe that has become so painful and embarrassing that he no longer wants to take his socks off in front of his friends. At first, Jack shrugged it off. “It’s just a bit sore,” he told his mum. But soon, the toe became red, swollen, and tender to even the lightest touch. Wearing his footy boots felt like stepping on a Lego brick every time he moved. Then the tissue around the toe started to get bigger and would bleed whenever it was knocked. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Ingrown toenails are incredibly common in kids and adolescents — often thanks to active lifestyles, tight shoes, or nails that just grow in awkward shapes. Adults aren’t immune either — anyone can get them. The good news? This is not something you have to put up with. Step one is usually conservative care from your podiatrist. We can gently remove the offending nail edge, reduce inflammation, and give you tips to stop it from coming back — like proper nail trimming techniques and footwear advice. But sometimes, as in Jack’s case, the nail problem keeps coming back to cause trouble and the tissue inflammation is too much to benefit from non-surgical measures. That’s when we can offer some surgical solutions. This can range from a simple surgical procedure, done under local anaesthetic, to a more invasive procedure which is usually done as a day procedure in a day surgery or hospital. As Jack’s problem was recurrent, we suggested a more permanent procedure to remove the sections of nail and skin that were problematic, under general anaesthetic (Jack was asleep and had no pain). Jack had the surgery. Three weeks later, he was back on the field, scoring goals without a second thought about his toe. His mum says the only regret was not getting it sorted sooner. If you or your child are dealing with a stubborn, sore toenail, remember: you don’t have to live with it. There is a definitive solution — and we’re here to help you find it. 

Walking on Eggshells: Jane's Story

By Asha Curry • May 6, 2025
When Jane turned 58, she started noticing a bump forming on the side of her big toe. At first, it didn’t bother her much — just a little rubbing in her shoes. But over time, her bunion got bigger, and her second toe started curling upwards. It wasn’t long before even short walks became painful. She thought the pain was “just part of getting older,” but her knees and hips had started aching too. Why? Because her body was compensating for her sore feet. Jane's gait (the way she walked) had changed, putting extra pressure on other joints. She also started feeling less steady on her feet, especially when barefoot or in slippers. Finding shoes was another challenge — nothing seemed to fit comfortably anymore. Fashion took a back seat to function, and even then, her shoes still hurt by the end of the day. Eventually, Jane reached out for help. What Are Bunions and Hammer Toes? Bunions are bony bumps at the base of the big toe that cause the toe to shift out of alignment. Hammer toes are bent, curled toes that can develop from the pressure caused by bunions or from muscle imbalances. Both conditions can cause pain, difficulty walking, and trouble finding shoes that fit. What Can Be Done? Thankfully, Jane had options. Non-surgical treatment included: - Custom orthoses (prescription shoe inserts) to support her feet and reduce pressure. - Footwear advice to help find supportive, comfortable shoes. - Stretching and strengthening exercises to help improve balance and foot function. In some cases these options are not enough to provide symptom relief, and in Jane’s case, she explored surgical correction as her activities of daily living were being affected. Our Podiatric Surgeons explained the procedure clearly, and helped Jane understand how surgery could relieve pain, correct the deformity, and help her walk comfortably again. Ready to Take the First Step? If your feet are holding you back like Jane’s were, let’s talk. ✅ Book an appointment with one of our non-surgical podiatrists for a full assessment and personalised treatment plan. ✅ Or, if you’d like to explore surgical options, you can book a consultation with one of our Podiatric Surgeons, Julie Taranto or Michael Taranto.