IDIOPATHIC TOE WALKING

   *Does your child walk on his or her toes even if you ask them to put their heels down?
   *Do you notice the child standing on his or her toes more often then they have their heels down?
   *Does it seem like they just can’t help it?

     Idiopathic means that there is no known cause with a spontaneous onset. Some children with cerebral palsy will walk on their toes. This is not idiopathic toe walking. 

     Idiopathic toe walking can make running, jumping, climbing and playing more difficult, or may begin to attract unwanted attention from peers. Common treatment for this includes calf muscle stretching, use of braces (Ankle Foot Orthoses, AFO's), casting in series, and sometimes surgical correction. A non-traditional approach is to use the concepts of The Postural Restoration Institute^® (PRI) by addressing the child's breathing patterns. I add these powerful techniques to my "bag of tricks" to help treat idiopathic toe walking. 

 Do you notice that your child, who walks on his or her toes, also:

- stands with his or her belly forward and back arched?
- has trouble standing still and always seems to need to move his or her feet to stay balanced?
- has trouble sitting still and seems to be extra wiggly compared to
peers?
- has trouble completing a seated table-top task and needs to get up and move around?
- yawns often even though they do not seem to be tired?
- sleeps on his or her back with arms overhead, back arched, and mouth open? May also an open-mouth posture when awake?
- uses an inhaler or has a diagnosis of asthma?

     If you notice any of these postures or behaviors your child may have a breathing component to his/her toe walking. When children use different muscles to breathe, they also tend to use different muscles to move…. And to walk!  Further there may be a sensory processing component, which chould include visual and tactile processing.

     I'd be happy and honored to evaluate your child and to help!
See "Contact Me" or "Ask the Expert".