he tippy toes everywhere

i was told by one person it was bad for them to tippy toe everywhere .. then by another that it doesnt matter ..

so whats the real answer ??? he tippy toes even in shoes .. and he can walk pretty fast on his toes too ..

is it really bad for him ???

jack who started walkign in early dec just discovered he can walk on his tippy toes, he does it because he can IYKWIM!!!!!!!

never heard it being a bad thing, if your worried speak to your CHN or GP

I don't have any personal experience but heard on the radio about a condition where kids walk on their tip toes, can't remember the name of it sorry, but it had 'equine' in it because of the way horses walk or something... ugh, not making sense... what's new?!

IMO, if he CAN walk normally, just chooses to tip toe, there shouldn't be a problem & he'd get sick of it eventually?!

Sorry I am no help... hope somebody has some more info for you...!!

Charmalea, My DS went through a tiptoeing phase, so I understand your question. I think one of the concerns with prolonged tiptoeing is that the achilles tendons can end up tight which sometimes makes the transition to a normal heel-toe movement a bit tricky. Some kids go through a short phase of tiptoeing without any problems, it's just a new "trick" they've learnt and are keen to practice. However for other kids it can be a sign of needing some help from a physiotherapist or occupational therapist or perhaps some further testing. I'd get your MCHN and GP to take a look.

Might help for you to think through the following sorts of questions before you see her/him:

1. When did it start and how long has he been doing it? That is, has he always done it since when he first started walking? Did he start off with a normal heel-toe flatter foot movement and then at some later stage move on to tiptoeing? If he started off with a normal heel-toe movement, when did the tiptoeing start?

2. Is there any family history of tiptoeing? ie did you, your DH, siblings etc?

3. Do you know whether he can he walk flat footed?

We have had a host of early intervention therapy for for my DS due to complications arising from prematurity. In the context of that I've seen a variety of kids walking on their tippy toes - some of whom outgrow this phase without any issue (like my DS), and others where there is a need for some form of physiotherapy or occupational therapy. HTH's. xx

My nephew is 6, and he used tippy-toe all the time. SIL didnt do anything about it when it started because she was told it wouldnt affect anything. Recently she has had to spend heaps at podiatrists & doctors because it damages the tendons in the back of the heel, and doesnt allow it to grow properly. Now he has to have special inserts in his shoes and he has this "wedge" to stand on when he cleans his teeth, coz thats the only time he stands still for 5 mins, it makes him stand with his feet angled upwards.

My nephew (now 9) was a tippy toe walker from the moment he walked, for years.....he even ran on his tippy toes!

That said, he has no tendon or heel issues now.

He is an amazing little dancer though.......think Billy Elliot!