In children under 2, its a common way to walk when just learning.
After that age, most people adopt the heel-to-toe walking pattern.
However, toe walking can continue past age 2, leading to issues, including tight calf muscles.
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Toe walking past a certain age may also indicate an underlying health condition.
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1.
Symptoms appear in infancy or by the time a child reaches preschool.
Along with toe walking, a child with cerebral palsy may:
2.
There are over 30 types of MD, all of which get worse over time.
The types of MD most associated with toe walking are Becker,Distal,andEmery-Dreifuss MD.
Other general symptoms that develop in muscular dystrophy include:
3.
Spinal Cord Abnormality
Spinal cord abnormalities can develop because of issues inside or outside the spinal cord.
Damage to thespinal cord sparked by an injury, for example, can causespinal cord compression.
How Common Is Toe Walking?
Those rates rise to roughly 41% in children with underlying conditions in the same age group.
Those symptoms can include:
Why Do Kids Walk on Their Toes?
Your child’s healthcare provider will complete tests to determine the cause of toe walking.
This can cause cramping, pain, and difficulty wearing shoes comfortably.
How Is Toe Walking Diagnosed?
A physical exam is the first step and the most efficient way to diagnose toe walking.
However, to get to the root cause, more diagnostics will be needed.
Will My Child Always Walk on Their Toes?
In other cases, treatment will be done to correct the toe walking pattern to avoid further complications.
In others, an underlying health disorder or idiopathic toe walking may be to blame.
Surgery to lengthen the tightened muscles is a last resort.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Cerebral palsy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Muscular dystrophy.
Holmes, Gregory L., and Peter M. Bingham.Walking on tiptoes.Pediatric Neurology.
May 2016(2).
doi:10.1093/med/9780190601508.003.0027
Autism Research Institute.Toe walking and ASD.
Pathways.org.What to know about toe walking.
