The most commonly used non-surgical treatment in the newborn and infant is manipulation and casting. This is started as soon as possible. The foot is manipulated to stretch and loosen the tight structures. The foot is then placed in a cast to hold it in a corrected position. This is repeated every one or two weeks until the deformity is corrected or surgery is performed.

As any parent knows, the newborn grows rapidly after birth. The technique of manipulation and casting the foot is used to guide the growth of the foot towards the normal alignment. Without this guidance, the foot will remain deformed and may actually get worse. The greatest chance for correction of deformity occurs early in life when there is so much growth occurring.

There have been many different techniques proposed for the way the foot is manipulated and the way the casts are applied. Treatment of the infant with clubfoot is definitely one of the arts of medicine. Successful treatment requires patience and attention to detail.

The success of treatment of clubfoot by manipulation and casting alone varies greatly. The majority of infants will eventually require surgery but the manipulation and casting begins the process of guiding the foot towards a more normal form. In the infant that eventually needs surgery, the manipulation and casting are still required to obtain as much correction as possible prior to the surgery.