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2011 Muscle Flex Keep Body
My Baby Is Toe Walking. Is Toe Walking Normal?
Copyright (c) 2011 Foot & Ankle Alliance
The condition known as "toe walking" refers to when a person walks on their toes or on the ball of their feet. Toe walking in babies who are just beginning to walk is common. As they grow older, toe-walking toddlers usually learn to walk normally by the age of two. If a child is growing and developing normally, toe walking in toddlers should not be a big concern. However, children toe walking past the age of three is cause to see a podiatrist.
The causes of toe walking can be various factors. One type of toe walking is called habitual toe walking (also known as "idiopathic toe walking") where the cause is unknown. This is the type of toe walking that children usually outgrow naturally.
Non-habitual toe walking may have several causes such as: Being born with a short calf muscle (the tendon that links the leg muscles to the back of the heel bone), cerebral palsy (toe walking accompanied by lack of muscle coordination) and paralytic muscle disease (Duchenne muscular dystrophy).
Toe walking may also be the body's way of compensating for another physical condition, such as a foot drop. Persistent toe walking in children may also be a sign of autism or other developmental disorders.
When should you take your child to see a doctor for toe walking?
Try to see a foot doctor if your child is older than three and is still toe walking, or if their toe walking is accompanied by other signs and symptoms:
Lack of muscle coordination
Stiff muscles
Problems with precise motions, such as writing or buttoning a shirt
When a child is examined for toe walking, a doctor will usually evaluate whether the child walks on their toes on both feet, or just one. A physician will also check to see how far the child can flex his or her feet and perform a neurological exam. For habitual toe walking in young children, doctors may prefer to watch and wait as the child may outgrow the condition. However, if the child's range of motion reduces, then there are several methods of treatment for toe walking:
A child can wear a brace or splint either during the day, night or both, which limits the ability of the child to walk on his or her toes and stretches the Achilles tendon.
The child's foot or feet are placed in casts (serial casting) with the tendon stretched. The cast (s) is changed weekly with progressive stretching.
Botox therapy can be used to temporarily paralyze the calf muscles of a child to reduce the opposition of the muscles to stretching the Achilles stretching. This is usually done with casting or splinting.
If these techniques fail to fix the toe walking after about 12-24 months, then surgical lengthening of the tendon is an option. After the surgery, a below-the-knee walking cast is worn for six weeks.
For toe walking with more sever neuro-muscular conditions, additional specialists may need to be seen.
About the Author
Dr. Alireza Khosroabady is a Fellowship trained foot & ankle surgeon. He did his Surgical training in NY and his fellowship at the Rubin institute for Advanced Orthopedics/International Center for Limb Lengthening at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore with world renowned Orthopedic Surgeons.
http://www.fixmyfoot.com
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