Tip toe gait

[Choclatespread]

Hello, I haven't been on Mumsnet for ages. So here I am looking for some advice. Please if anyone could direct me in the right direction. Most appreciated.
I'm not sure if anyone remembers, but I wrote a whole ago regarding my son walking on tip toe, anyway here we are 6 months later, still no progress. Well we've managed to get OP appointment to see a orthopaedic, however the physio can't deal with our son as we are not in the borough. So why did the consultant refer us there? Anyway now we are still waiting for a appointment with the physio at our local.
My son has tight tendons, and tight calf muscles. One registrar wanted to refer him to neurology department, orthopaedic consultant didn't agree. So here we are 6months later with no results.

Bump.... Anyone got any advice out there who I could go to to get some treatment started.

Hi, my DS2 (6) is a tiptoe walker. He has been doing it ever since he started to walk and its more pronounced when he has no shoes on. We were referred to physio who gave us some exercises and stretching routines to do, and we were going to get some casts fitted to wear in bed and keep his feet straight. The funding for this was knocked back as he can stand with his feet flat (we are in Herts). Our GP was useless but we contacted the community paeds at the local childrens centre for a referral, not that it did much good once the funding was refused. The main things that eased the tightening for him is the stretching routines and walking like 'Pingu'. We are always telling him to 'walk properly' too, as are school, and he drops down onto all his foot. Try the childrens's centre and see if there is a gait clinic in your area, there is supposed to be one here but I've yet to find it. Good luck.

I have a 13 yo with the same problem. She has physio once a month at our local Cottage Hospital, and exercises to do 5 times a day to try and stretch her tendons and loosen her calf muscles.

She's only just started treatment by physio seems confident the exercises will sort her out. She is due back to the ortho consultant next month, so if no improvement he might suggest either an op to lengthen tendons or botox injections which apparetnly do the same thing.

I wouldwait till you've tried the physio route (chase them up!) - their whole approach seems much more holistic than the consultant's.

Maybe try your own stretching exercises - one dd has to do is simply bend her knees while keeping her feet flat, and 'bounce' like that for 30 seconds, 5 times a day.

I think that Google needs to come with a health warning. I nearly googled myself into a nervous breakdown eight years ago when my son was an extreme toe walker.

whatkungfuthat we live an Hertfordshire. My son was treated under the Pat Lewis Child Development centre and we found they were very good. My son was the most extreme toe walker our child physio had ever met. At the time I was very worried there was something wrong with my son. Our community paediatrian did wonders for my mental health by ruling out serious medical conditions.

It turned out that my son was an idiopathic toewalker. My son had orthoric inserts in his shoes and we did stretching exercises. We had a meeting with an orthopedic surgeon and the team discuss the possiblity of botox and plaster casts, but thank God it was not necessary.

Stretching excercises do work, but you have to actually do them. Lot of parents can't be arsed and then complain the exercises don't work. It is hard because most two year olds hate stretching exercises. I found it helped to stetch my son's tendons every nappy change.

Children outgrow idiopathic toewalking as they get heavier. I found that nagging my son is counter productive. Admitally my son still toe walks occassionally when he is ten years old. However it doesn't stop him from enjoying life and living. He is doing well at school both socially and academically.

Is it really justified putting a small child through unpleasent treatments to correct a problem that is essentially cosmetic? I have chosen to hold off any nasty things like botox or operations until my son is old enough to make a decision.

I wouldn't mind starting exercises at home, but the physio refused to start us off with any information, as she kept saying GP won't pay for it from the funding

I'l try the bouncing one. I'm sure my son will love it.

The orphopedic has suggested cast at night time & some inserts in shoes as well as the physio referral. So was it the physio who arranged the cast & inserts?

ReallyTired we were told that he also had hypermobility and that gravity would eventually sort it out. Its manageable really as we do the stretching and he does walk ok in school shoes, we have found starting football training helped too. I will look into Pat Lewis Child Development though as everywhere else is a non starter. Thanks

Choclatespread try the Pingu walk (on heels) as our first physio, who sadly left, said this was very effective and easy to get them to do.

whatkungfuthat if you have no luck with the NHS then this shoe shop has a private podiatrist who could help you with stretching exercises.

www.precioussoles.co.uk/

Eight years ago you paid a fee of £25 and I have no idea if they still have the service. The podiatrist can show you have to do the stretches properly.

Thats not far from us, thanks!

"really tired" was it the physio that arranged for the insoles?

Ds walks on tip toe and always has - it can be a trait of Aspergers syndrome or dyspraxia.

DS had insoles, physio, nothing changed and he walks on his toes to this day - he is coming up to 21.

Choclatespread yes the child physio did arrange the orthoric inserts.

The child physio also wanted to prescribe my son pedro boots, but unfortunately my son's feet were far too small at 24 months.

Ok, so really I need to chase the physio referral & make sure it has been done.

Really Tired what is the pingu walk?

Walking on your heels like Pingu, it stretches the muscles

When stretching - don't bounce! you can cause injury. A stretch should be held for at least 20 seconds.

A good stretch for this is to stand on a step with the ball of the foot on but the heals off, then let the heals drop down below the level of the step and hold for 20-30 seconds - this way gravity does do most of the work. This stretch can be done with the knees slightly flexed and fully extended as it will stretch different muscles. Also consider stretching the hamstrings - get a theraband resistance band, lie on the floor and put the theraband around the ball of the foot and lift the leg up keeping the knees extended and holding onto the ends of the theraband letting the ankle relax. Kids love these elastic bands but do supervise as they turn into wicked catapults

Oh and one more just for fun, stand facing a wall with the toes nearly touching the wall then bend the knee and see if you can touch the wall with the knee while keeping the heal on the floor.

HTH

Oh thanks for all that. Will try to do some of them to start off with, from tomorrow.

Tried the pingu walk, but he can't really manage it yet. Will keep practising. Thanks.

Mollified where can I get the bands from? Do I have to buy them myself?

My son does this. He has had physio on and off for 18 months. It's hell getting him to do the exercises. He also had splints that he's meant to wear in bed but he refuses so he wears them whilst watching tv. The physio works but mentally he can't stop tip toeing. He has to work on his hamstrings too because when he stands with flat feet his upper body leans over to compensate.

The surgeon doesn't ' want to operate. We have never been given foot insets but I have asked.

Another thing they sometimes do is put one foot in plaster for 6 wks then the other one. The physio says some kids have that or the op bit then still tip toe.

I worry about other kids taking the piss when he's at secondary school.

Chocolatespread theraband on Amazon

This is probably not a great idea if your DC is very young but they should grasp the idea by the time they are 5 or 6 maybe? In fact if your DC is young I would probably wait and see anyway though I appreciate that this is not what you want to hear, the thing is that many do just grow out of it. My older DS toe walks still at age 12 but its very subtle these days and it mainly irritates me because of the way his shoes wear out.

IMO operations and casting is a bit OTT but you do what you think is best for your DC, I don't know how severe their case is.

If the NHS is not helping consider going private - a decent podiatrist might be a good start but do some research as your not looking for someone to trim their corns!

My son has never been teased for toe walking.

"Really Tired what is the pingu walk?"

I'm afraid I have no idea. Personally I would not do any stretching excercises unless shown PROPERLY by someone qualified. I would be afraid of doing more harm than good.

Personally I would not do any operations of casting until the child is old enough to be involved in the decision making. I would only consider evasive treatment if a child has problems with functional walking. There are big risks with an operation or botox as well as the fact it is painful. It is not fun being stuck in a wheelchair on strong painkillers for weeks on end.

My son has never been bullied about his toe walking. I can understand your worry, but sometimes I think toe walking is more of an issue for the parent than the child.

Sorry I think I asked the wrong person the question, but I got the answer.

I'm not too fussed about trying the simple exercise, but I would seek professional help. I'm quite sensible like that. If I don't know what I'm doing, I would just stop.

I would like to know from all you other parents, does your child complain of pain in their legs?

My son is 5 years old, he has been doing this since he started to walk, but we never really noticed it at that time, but has always had some issue with his left leg, as I remember know we have been in & out if hospital, due to something or the other regarding his leg. However it's never really been looked at seriously. His tip toe walking & limping have gotten worse since last year October.