Pediatric Toe Walking in Hawley

Have you noticed that your child walks on their toes? It is pretty common for children who are just learning how to walk to balance on their toes or the balls of the feet. This is called “toe walking,” and most children eventually stop doing it. In some cases, however, they continue to do it past the age of two, and may require therapy to correct it.

At ElmTree Physical Therapy, our team of skilled physical therapists know the proper ways to treat pediatric patients needing assistance with learning how to walk properly.

Contact one of our physical therapy clinics in Hamlin, Hawley or Honesdale, PA today to learn more about our therapeutic treatment plans; we treat patients from all over the country, and we’ll be happy to evaluate your child.

What Causes Idiopathic Toe Walking?

There is not currently a definite cause as to why toe walking occurs, however, the Mayo Clinic outlines a few things that may contribute to it.

A ElmTree Physical Therapy pediatric therapist will be able to rule out any of these to figure out which, if any, applies to your child’s condition. Therapy may vary depending on what is causing your child to continue walking on their toes. Some causes include:

Cerebral palsy

Toe walking can be caused by a disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture caused by injury or abnormal development in the parts of the immature brain that control muscle function.

Muscular dystrophy

Toe walking sometimes occurs in this genetic disease in which muscle fibers are unusually prone to damage and weaken over time. This diagnosis might be more likely if your child initially walked normally before starting to toe walk.

Autism

Toe walking has been linked to autism spectrum disorders, which affect a child’s ability to communicate and interact with others.

A short Achilles tendon

This tendon links the lower leg muscles to the back of the heel bone. If it’s too short, it can prevent the heel from touching the ground.”

Toe walking isn’t a painful condition but it can be dangerous and cause falls or other injuries.

How can pediatric therapy help my child?

Pediatric physical therapists can help your child learn to walk properly by implementing the following techniques and methods of treatment:

• Stretching exercises
• Therapeutic exercises
• Providing you or another caregiver with education
• Orthotic consultations
• Therapeutic massage therapy

ElmTree Physical Therapy and Wellness’s attentive and caring physical therapists can properly assess your child’s gait, balance, and walking abilities during a consultation for toe-walking. They may evaluate your child for any underlying conditions that may be causing their imbalance.

From there, we will create a treatment plan geared towards improving your child’s walking abilities and providing them with confidence in their acquired skills to live a more functional and fulfilling life.

We’re Here to Help You

We understand that your child’s growth and development is a priority, and our team will treat it as such. ElmTree Physical Therapy in Hamlin, Hawley and Honesdale, PA strives to create a warm, welcoming environment for all of our patients, and encourage growth and learning wherever possible. To set up an appointment to have your child’s toe-walking evaluated, call our clinic.