Toe Walking in Childhood - Tayfun ACIKGOZ, MD

Описание: This presentation is prepared to provide information only about the causes and current treatments for "Toe Walking in Children”.

Consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

By Tayfun Acikgoz, MD , Orthopedic Surgeon at the Doruk Hospital in Bursa, Turkey.

What are the factors affecting a child's walking development?
Many factors affect a child's walking. Factors such as a child's genetics, whether they are active, whether they are overweight, past illnesses, and whether they get enough exercise all play a role in the onset of walking.

Do familial factors affect children’s walking on tiptoe?
Walking on tiptoe is common in childhood.Researche have shown that children who walk on their tiptoes often have family members with the same problem to varying degrees.

-How Common is Tiptoe Walking in Girls and Boys?
Studies have shown that tiptoe walking is more common in boys. Families often complain about that their children’s walk on the tips of their toes.Even though the children correct their steps after warning from the parents,they continue to walk on tiptoe afterwards.

-What are the causes of tiptoe walking in children?
The most common condition is the idiopathic tiptoe walking, which is a habitual gait with no apparent cause. Some kids who start walking on their tiptoes make it a habit.
Another reason is thightness in the Achilles tendon .This tendon is connected to the calf muscle which helps us push off the ground with our feet.Tightness in the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel can cause some kids to walk on their tiptoes.
Diseases in a child's foot and ankle bones can also cause this problem.
Another reason for toe walking in children is neuromuscular conditions.
Some examples of these diseases are:
Viral infections that the child may have experienced,
Brain injuries from different causes,
Conditions such as Cerebral Palsy,
-Muscle disorders like Muscular Dystrophy and Myopathy.
Walking on tiptoes is also commonly observed in autistik children.

-What are effective ways to correct tiptoe walking in children ?
If tiptoe walking persists in a child until the age of 2-3, it is essential to evaluate the child.
The most important thing in planning treatment for a child who walks on their tiptoes is to make sure the diagnosis is accurate. The main reason should definitely be identified first.
So, it’s better for a doctor to evaluate the child and then provide treatment.
If it is idiopathic , it can be observed. If kids walk normally sometimes and on their tiptoes at other times, it's useful to keep an eye on them.
If a child consistently tips toes while walking, treatment should be initiated without delay.

-How to Treat Tiptoe Walking Treated?
If tiptoe walking persists in a child until the age of 2-3, physical therapy (stretching and strengthening exercises), the use of braces and splints, botox applications ,orthopedic shoes, and serial tensioning casts may be applied.
If the treatments are not succesful or severe cases, surgical treatments (relaxation of the muscles and tendons in the posterior part of the lower leg) may considered.

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