How do you treat toe walking?

If your child is a toe walker, then he or she should be evaluated by a physical therapist.  Not every toe walker needs the same treatment strategies, and a pediatric physical therapist can figure out what your child needs.  However, if your child is otherwise typically developing, and you do not know the cause of the toe walking (also known as idiopathic toe walking), there are a few things you can try while you are waiting for your initial evaluation with a physical therapist…

• Have your child wear shoes more frequently.  Typically, it is harder to toe walk when wearing shoes.  It is also harder to toe walk when wearing shoes with hard soles.  Do you have a shoes off rule in your house?  Try having a second pair of shoes that are meant for indoors only. 

• Practice activities that challenge your child’s balance.  Standing on pillows, playing catch while standing on a piece of foam, kicking a soccer ball in the backyard, and standing and walking through sand are all activities that challenge a child’s balance.  When a toe walker’s balance is challenged, they typically want to bring their heels down to the ground to widen their base of support and to improve their balance and prevent a fall.

• Practice a game that involves squatting.  Pick a game and put some of the pieces on the ground and some of the pieces on a table or raised surface.  This will help to motivate your child to practice squatting.  It’s very challenging to squat while you are standing on your toes.  Most kids will want to bring their heels to the ground before they squat.

After trying the above activities, make sure you let your physical therapist know what you have tried and how it went.  

Is your child a toe walker?  Book a discovery call to figure out the best course of action for your child!