Have you ever seen your child walk on their tip toes? While walking on their tip toes from time to time is harmless, toe walking as a child’s primary means of walking can lead to long term problems. Typically, children develop a mature, adult looking walking pattern by the age of three.
Toe Walking Causes
Toe walking is often associated with autism spectrum disorders, but it can come from a variety of other reasons such as:
Sensory processing difficulties
Muscle weakness
Tight muscles
Abnormal foot positions
Diagnoses
Diagnosing the cause of toe walking and treatment is done by your primary care doctor and a physical therapist. Toe walking can be observed during a physical exam. The physical therapist will observe your child walking, check for tight muscles, assess strength of muscles, and observe them performing activities such as stair climbing and jumping.
Treatment for Toe Walking
Treatment for toe walking can include stretching of tight muscles, strengthening for under-utilized muscles, balance activities, sensory processing strategies and orthotics. If toe walking goes untreated, long-term difficulties such as joint pain, developmental delays, and overuse injuries can develop.
If you notice that toe walking is becoming a pattern for your child, Altru Pediatric Therapy is here to help! Our physical therapists created individualized treatment plans and make therapy treatments fun while achieving your child’s goals.! Our team of specially trained physical therapists can evaluate your child and make an individualized treatment plan.
Contact your child’s primary care physician and request a referral to physical therapy.
