One of the best sights in the world is to watch young children running, jumping and playing together with no cares in the world. They seem to bound through the air and float on their toes as they dance around like tiny ballerinas. Children love to walk around on their tiptoes, either displaying their excitement or showing their height. But how do you know when their desire to play on their tiptoes is not quite normal????

As a pediatric physical therapist at Weisman Childrens Rehabilitation Center, we encounter many children who have been diagnosed as Toe Walkers. This is a seemingly common diagnosis but as a parent it is sometimes hard to determine when your child may be walking on his/her toes for fun and when it has become a habit and you may need to seek physical therapy services.

There are two reasons Toe Walking occurs, most commonly Toe Walking is a result of tightness of the muscles in your calf, called the gastrocnemius complex. In addition, sensation seeking may result in Toe Walking where your child may be looking for additional sensory input to the bottom of his/her feet. Treatment of Toe Walking consists of a regiment of stretching to these muscles both at home and in the clinic, activities to promote use of the ankle muscles, such as heel walking or bringing your toes to your nose to pop bubbles, as well as a sensory diet to prepare the feet for walking. Sometimes it may be necessary to use special orthosis (braces for the feet) during the day or at night to obtain a better stretch to these muscles. Treatment for Toe Walking can be very effective, especially when a diagnosis is made at an early age, so dont hesitate to talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns about your childs development.

Christiana Kennedy, PT, MPT

Pediatric Physical Therapist

Weisman Childrens Rehabilitation Centers