Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 6/10/2009

Question
My 4 year old son can pop his tendon over his ankle bone and his toes pop if he moves his foot.  I took him to a pediatric orthopedist and the doctor said not to worry about it but my son may need it to be fixed in his teens if he is active in sports.  Since then my son can not go to sleep because his ankle hurts so bad.  I have to sit and rub it until he falls asleep.  Sometimes he hops on one foot around the house because he does not want to walk on the foot that pops.  Should I get a second opinion?  What are my options?  I really don't want a child so young to have surgery but I don't want him to have to deal with pain either.

Answer
Without an actual hands on exam, it would be difficult to peg.  But, I think I might want a second opinion.  It is common for young children to have an amount of "laxness" in joints, allowing a greater amount of movement, but they should not be painful.  You may also want to check into a chiropractor that utilizes myofascial release.  It can be a bit "pinchy" to have done, but your son may have great results.