Toe Walking


Have you ever noticed small children sometimes walk on their toes and the balls of their feet, instead of pushing off the ground with their heels? That’s called toe walking, and it’s common among toddlers when they’re learning to walk. But when children over the age of two do it, there may be a biomechanical issue we at the Mercer-Ocean Podiatry offices can assist with.


Although toe walking often has no discernable cause and most children outgrow it, some cases are caused by tightness in the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is formed by the merger of the calf muscles and it connects to the heel bone. When it or the calf muscles are too small, a person may find it more comfortable to keep their heel up as they move. Toe walking may be compounded by a neurological or muscular condition that makes walking difficult, resulting in the calf muscles and Achilles tendon being underused.


Treatments to extend and strengthen the Achilles tendon in young children are conservative. Many children are able to walk with their heels when they are reminded to, and only need some therapeutic stretches of their feet and legs to get comfortable doing it regularly. Another option is serial casting, in which a series of short casts on the lower limbs are used to gradually stretch the calves and tendons. These are applied over a period of several weeks. If tendon-lengthening surgery is determined to be necessary for a child over five, therapeutic stretches will still help them to regain their leg strength.


Dr. Frank Killian and Dr. Sameep Chandrani run Mercer-Ocean Podiatry. For the location at 2103 Whitehorse Mercerville Road, Hamilton Township, New Jersey, 08619, call 609-585-3200. For the location at 202 Rte 37 W, Suite 4, Toms River, New Jersey, 08755, call 732-557-4266. For the location at 666 Plainsboro Rd Suite 1050, Plainsboro New Jersey, 08536, call 609-269-5800. Visit New Jersey Foot.




 

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