16 Apr Toe Walking – What is it and where to go for help
Toe walking is where the person mostly walks on the ball of the foot. It is also known as “equinus gait”, from the word “equinus” meaning horse-like, because a horse actually walks on its toes with it heel raised. In a toe walker, the heel rarely strikes the ground, as in a normal gait where the heel strikes the ground first before the weight shifts to the toes for push-off.
But don’t worry too much as walking on the toes can be a normal part of motor and gait development in the first 12-18 months after starting to walk, and usually resolves by 2-3 years of age. In this case, toe walking is intermittent, only occurring for short periods of time in an otherwise normal motor skills development repertoire.
When is it a concern? In the extreme end of the scale, toe walking can be linked to neuromuscular conditions like cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophies. But it can also occur without any apparent neuromuscular cause, where it is known as “idiopathic toe walking”, i.e. cause unknown, though it appears to happen more commonly in the following cases:
1. Family history
2. Autism Spectrum Disorder
3. Developmental Coordination and /or Language Disorder
4. ADHD
5. Premature birth or low birth weight
6. Hypotonia (where muscles have a lower than normal resting muscle tone)
7. Sensory processing differences
Generally speaking, if a child is still toe walking after the age of 3, they won’t grow out of it and need assistance. The qualified physiotherapists at Western Paediatric can help you here, as this is one of their specialised areas of expertise. Give them a call today if you are at all concerned about your child’s toe walking.
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