The Magic Shoes

We went to the pediatric orthopedist a few weeks ago and assessed Brendan's feet. He has moderate to severe tibial torsion. It's really just a fancy doctor way of saying that Brendan is bad to really bad pigeon-toed. The perscription was for him to wear orthopedic shoes when he goes to sleep at night (not during nap time). They are lace-up shoes with wooden soles, held together with a metal bar and are set at a 30-degree outward angle. The specialist said that after reviewing Brendan's x-rays his bones are not the problem, it is the muscles he uses to walk. They are basically turning his feet in with every step that he takes. So the night shoes (we call them his 'magic shoes') are going to train that muscle to pull the feet out instead of in.

We have been using them every night for a few weeks now, and though they took a few nights to get used to, he has grown accustomed to having them on. He is really good at letting us put them on every night, not much complaining or whining. He does have a hard time falling asleep some nights, but it's nothing we can't work through. The worst is for us parents, as he kicks his feet through the night which cause a huge ruckus...wood shoes on wood bed. It sounds like construction is going on inside our house. We have started sleeping with ear plugs because it is so loud. And he is destroying the finish on his bed with the banging. But if it fixes the problem with his feet at this early age, it is worth these small hassles.