what to expect - 3 year old tip toe walking.

[saywhat]

after a year and half, my brand new health visitor has agreed with me that my daughters tip toe walking needs to be looked at. Thank god because if one more person said how 'cute' it was, or that she would make a good ballet dancer, i will swing for them! Its not cute when she is regularly falling flat on her face and hurting herself!!!

Excuse me lol but its been a long old year and half. She goes through shoes like nothing else, because it doesnt matter what type she wears, she tiptoes in them...even big sturdy ankle boots. She watchs tv on tiptoes. 98% of the day she is on tiptoes. I was told she would grow out of it when she was 2...but she is not going to. Wether it is medical or a habit, if anything she has got worse, not better, and thats with me spending a year and half telling her all day every day to not walk on them!

so...deep breath...my HV finally agreed my daughter needed to be looked at, after DD kindly demonstarted how much it affects her by tiptoeing over to the HV and falling flat on her face, hitting her head on the side of the arm chair. My HV has warned me that it may need physio, or/and casts on her legs! Does anyone have experience of this with a child my DD's age? and no she never ever used a baby walker...which seems to be what every medical professional i know wants to pin it on!

I don't have direct experience but my best friend's daughter is a "toe walker"

They tried to use physio on her at 3 (ish) and it didn't help but she didn't like doing the exercises and my friend didn't force her to do them. My friend's DD is now nearly 6. She does ballet but struggles with some of the positions as she cannot put her feet flat. My friend has taken her to see a chiropractor who has said her spine and hips are out of line. The chiropractor is managing to make some progress with her and we can see improvements now.

Don't mean to worry you but would say if you get exercises to do then try and stick with them.

HTH

My DS (3.10)is currently in casts on both legs, racing around like a demon!

The casts are not the first line of attack tbh and his problems are far more severe than just tiptpe walking.

You need a referral to orthotics for some special shoes, DS has some that have metal plates in the sole which prevents them from tiptoe walking. These, alongside daily physio/exercises, should be eonough to sort it out in most cases.

My DS is only in cases due to failure in supply of correct shoes (and the fact he has many other related problems) then incorrect shoes fitted which made his problems worse. He was first cast for 4 weeks in Jan/Feb - casts get changed weekly to realign position of foot - and it worked very well.

But there has been a supply problem again (adim/ordering issues at local hosp, I did chase them after a few weeks but was fobbed off, no one noticed they had not even been ordered)

So he has started bending over forwards to balance and currently has a black eye, bruised chin, a hugely swollen elbow (though it was broken) and a new scar from having eyebrow glued up all in the last 6 weeks.

Hopefully he will only be cast for a few weeks this time and the shoe supply folk will get their act together (LOL).

thanks ladies, i will try anything before i accept casts, she is due to start preschool in august, it would be a shame for her to have to start, wearing casts.