Toe Walking Rehabilitation

If your child walks on his or her toes or the ball of the foot, often referred to as toe walking, Good Shepherd is here to help.

Toe walking can be part of natural development, and is fairly common in children who are pulling to stand, walking along furniture and early stepping. Children often experiment with walking on their toes in their toddler years; however they shouldn’t exclusively walk on their toes.

Early diagnosis of toe walking is important to identify the underlying cause and treat the impairments to prevent future issues with balance, flexibility and motor skill development.

At Good Shepherd, toe walking is typically treated by a physical therapist. Therapy may include stretching, strengthening, serial casting, orthoses, desensitization activities and instruction in a home program

Levels of care:

• Pediatric rehabilitation for toe walking is available at several outpatient locations.
• Dr. Drew Williams, podiatrist in the Good Shepherd Spine & Joint Center also treats toe walking.

If your child is toe walking exclusively (or most of the time), it may be caused by:

• Sensory aversion (like walking barefoot in sand or grass)
• High muscle tone
• Low muscle tone
• Short heel cords
• Muscle weakness
• Idiopathic (no known cause)
• Muscular, neurological or developmental disorders 

For more information on the Good Shepherd’s toe walking rehabilitation services or the Good Shepherd Pediatric Rehabilitation Program, contact us, call 610-776-3100 or Request an Appointment.