“Orthotics have changed my life! I can walk for hours with no pain.”Google · Sarah Tang · Mar 2022
“For fifteen years I saw countless doctors for pain in the ball of my foot. Dr. Patish's diagnosis was dead on.”Google · A. Holston · Jan 2023
“He finally freed me from my plantar fasciitis! Orthotics he casted are exceptional.”Google · Gleb Kartsev · Nov 2021
“The best foot doctor I have found in 40 years.”Google · Dwight Herkness · Aug 2019
“I have been in pain for months. The pain was instantly gone.”Google · Danny Martinez · Aug 2024
“I wish I could give Dr. Patish 10 stars!!! He has literally been a life changer.”Yelp · Troy E. · Aug 2019
“Every time I come with pain I leave this place feeling great!”Google · Wendy Aguilar · Nov 2024
“He is amazing — truly cares and wants me to have a better quality of life.”Healthgrades · Mar 2019
“Orthotics have changed my life! I can walk for hours with no pain.”Google · Sarah Tang · Mar 2022
“For fifteen years I saw countless doctors for pain in the ball of my foot. Dr. Patish's diagnosis was dead on.”Google · A. Holston · Jan 2023
“He finally freed me from my plantar fasciitis! Orthotics he casted are exceptional.”Google · Gleb Kartsev · Nov 2021
“The best foot doctor I have found in 40 years.”Google · Dwight Herkness · Aug 2019
“I have been in pain for months. The pain was instantly gone.”Google · Danny Martinez · Aug 2024
“I wish I could give Dr. Patish 10 stars!!! He has literally been a life changer.”Yelp · Troy E. · Aug 2019
“Every time I come with pain I leave this place feeling great!”Google · Wendy Aguilar · Nov 2024
“He is amazing — truly cares and wants me to have a better quality of life.”Healthgrades · Mar 2019
Gentle Care for Growing Feet
Pediatric Foot Care
in Fallbrook
Kids’ feet are still under construction. Dr. Patish examines them gently, explains what’s normal for the age, supports what needs supporting — and never treats what doesn’t need treating.
✓ Most Insurance Accepted
✓ Same or Next-Day Visits
✓ In-Office, Non-Surgical Care
When Parents Call Us
Usually it starts with something small. Sometimes the answer is treatment. Sometimes it’s reassurance from someone who has examined a lot of growing feet. Both are worth the visit.
Sitting Out of Games
A child who quietly stops playing the games they used to love, or asks to be carried more than they used to. Feet that hurt often show up as behavior first.
Heels Hurt After Practice
Pain at the back of the heel during soccer, football, or running season — classic growth-plate territory in growing athletes, and worth a real look.
Shoes Wearing Down Crooked
Soles collapsing inward, one side wearing faster than the other, or shoes that look outgrown in strange ways — feet leave evidence.
“Shouldn’t That Arch Be Higher?”
A relative’s comment plants a seed of worry. Flat-looking feet in children are common — and the ones that matter are worth catching early.
Support Early, Guide Activity, Treat What Needs Treating
Children are not small adults — a growing foot deserves its own playbook.
1
A Gentle, Unhurried Exam
Dr. Patish watches how your child stands, walks, and moves, checks flexibility and alignment, and explains everything in plain language — with you in the room. X-rays only when they truly change the answer.
2
Support the Foundation
Where the structure needs help, we support it early: custom orthotics built for a foot that is still growing, footwear guidance, and stretching and strengthening from our illustrated rehab library.
3
Guide the Activity
When activity is driving the pain, we modify it precisely — which activities to pause, what to substitute, and when to return. Growth-related pain is not something a child should push through.
4
Treat — or Reassure
In-office care under local anesthesia only when a nail or wart truly needs it, at a calm pace built around comfort. And when something needs nothing at all, we say that too.
3×
Board Certified
20+
Years Experience
2
Office Locations
★ 4.9
Patient Rating
What We See Most in Children
From toddlers to teens — the everyday concerns of growing feet.
Flat Feet & Arch Questions
The most common concern parents bring in — and one worth taking seriously. Feet are the foundation of the whole body: when they collapse inward, the strain doesn’t stay in the foot. Over the years, misaligned feet can feed ankle, knee, hip, and low-back problems. In Dr. Patish’s experience, most children whose flat feet are pronounced enough for parents to notice — or who have pain, easy fatigue, or clumsiness with activity — benefit from custom orthotics designed for a growing foot, with the goal of supporting alignment now instead of untangling its consequences in adulthood. Truly mild, flexible, symptom-free arches may only need monitoring; the exam tells us which is which.
Heel Pain & Growth-Related Pain
Around the growth-spurt years, pain at the back of the heel during sports is often calcaneal apophysitis — Sever’s disease — irritation of the heel’s growth plate. Growth-related pain is not something to push through: it deserves a real evaluation, and treatment almost always includes modifying the activities that provoke the pain — temporarily and strategically — so the growth plate can settle. Orthotics and heel supports often carry part of the load; some children need more than that. Handled properly, it resolves without following kids into adulthood.
Ingrown Toenails
Cleats, trimming habits, and inherited nail shape make these common in kids and teens. Caught early, gentle conservative care may be enough; a recurring or infected nail border can be treated in the office with the toe fully numbed first.
Plantar Warts
Pool decks and locker rooms do their work. Stubborn, contagious, and worth treating properly rather than picking at.
Sports Injuries & Ankle Sprains
Growing bones have growth plates where adults have solid bone — which changes what a “simple sprain” can be in a child. If your child is limping after a game, an exam settles the question. See also our sports injury care.
Walking-Pattern Worries
In-toeing, out-toeing, toe-walking in toddlers. Most patterns resolve on their own; the exam sorts the ones that need watching from the ones that need help.
Insurance & Coverage
Most sports injury visits — the examination, imaging, and standard in-office treatments — are billed to insurance like any other medical visit. We verify your benefits before care begins, so you know where you stand.
- Commercial plans: The evaluation and common treatments for foot and ankle injuries are generally covered medical services. Coverage for specific items can vary by plan.
- Medicare: Medically necessary foot and ankle care is generally covered for qualifying patients. We can review what applies to your situation.
- HMO referrals: Most HMO plans require a referral from your primary care doctor before a podiatry visit. Call our office and we will help you start that process.
- Self-pay & elective options: Certain elective therapies — such as PRP or birth-tissue allograft injections — are typically non-covered, self-pay services. We explain the cost picture clearly before anything is decided, and Cherry and CareCredit financing are available.
Call (760) 728-4800 and our team will verify your specific benefits before your visit.
Pediatric Concerns We See
✓ Flat feet & fallen arches
✓ Heel & growth-plate pain (Sever’s)
✓ Ingrown toenails
✓ Plantar warts
✓ Ankle sprains & sports injuries
✓ In-toeing, out-toeing & toe-walking
✓ High arches & instability
✓ Skin & nail concerns
A Word About What We Don’t Do
Some pediatric foot conditions belong with a sub-specialist — rigid or complex congenital deformities, conditions tied to neurological or systemic disease, or anything that may need reconstruction. If your child’s exam points that way, Dr. Patish will say so plainly and help you get to the right specialist. Getting the right answer matters more than keeping the visit in-house.
The evidence supports the simple things done well: for growth-plate heel pain in young athletes, a systematic review in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research found that supports such as heel raises and orthoses can help relieve pain. That’s the spirit of this practice — support the structure, calm the irritated growth plate, guide activity while it settles, and skip the interventions that don’t earn their place.
What Patients Say
Selected reviews from patients treated for foot and ankle problems. Outcomes vary by individual.
“Dr. Patish saw my daughter's fracture on the X-ray and got us in right away.”
— Heidi Pallares, Google Review, December 2016
“Podiatrist is very knowledgeable and approachable. Staff is professional and proactive.”
— Ben C, Google Review, February 2026
“He listened, took the time to get the diagnosis right, and got me back on my feet. Highly recommend.”
— Verified Patient, Google Review
Serving North County San Diego and Southwest Riverside
Patients drive from Fallbrook, Temecula, Murrieta, Oceanside, Vista, Bonsall, Rainbow, De Luz, Pala, and surrounding North County San Diego and Southwest Riverside communities. With offices in Fallbrook and Temecula, we are positioned to serve active patients across the region.
Serving Fallbrook, Temecula & Nearby Communities
If you have been searching for a sports injury podiatrist near me, Dr. Patish sees patients from across the region at our Fallbrook and Temecula offices. Patients travel to us for foot and ankle injury care from Fallbrook, Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Vista, Oceanside, Bonsall, San Marcos, Escondido, and the surrounding North County San Diego and Southwest Riverside communities.
Insurance & Self-Pay
We accept most major insurance plans and will verify your benefits before any care begins, so you know where you stand. Elective therapies such as PRP or birth-tissue allograft injections are typically non-covered, self-pay services, and we explain the cost picture clearly before anything is decided. Cherry and CareCredit financing are available — application and approval are handled directly by the lender, and any terms are set by them, not by our office.
What to Expect at Your Visit
Your first visit starts with a focused evaluation and any imaging needed to understand the injury. Dr. Patish will explain your options in plain language and answer your questions before anything is decided. There is never pressure — the goal is the right plan for you. To get started, call (760) 728-4800 or book online.
Common Questions
Does my child need custom orthotics for flat feet?
Often, yes. When flat feet are pronounced, symptomatic, or affecting how a child moves, supporting them during the growing years aims to protect the ankles, knees, hips, and back that sit on top of that foundation. Truly mild, flexible, pain-free arches may only need monitoring — Dr. Patish will tell you which situation your child is in.
At what age should a child see a podiatrist?
There is no minimum age — we see toddlers through teens. The trigger is not age; it is pain, limping, a nail or skin problem, or a walking pattern that worries you.
Is heel pain from sports serious in a growing child?
Take it seriously, yes. Growth-plate pain is a clear signal to adjust the load: the activities causing pain almost always need modifying for a stretch, supports often help, and some children need treatment beyond that. A limp that persists always deserves an exam.
Will an ingrown toenail procedure hurt my child?
The toe is fully numbed with local anesthesia before anything is done, and we work at a calm pace with the parent right there. Most kids say the numbing pinch was the hardest part.
Growing Feet, Kind Hands
Start with a gentle evaluation. If your child needs treatment, you’ll understand exactly why — and if they don’t, you’ll hear that too.
