Ideopathic Toe Walking

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Henry's pediatrician referred us to a physical therapist for an evaluation.  Henry has a tendency to walk on his toes.  Most kids start off walking on their toes, but outgrow the habit pretty quickly.  Some take a bit longer, usually outgrowing the habit by two.  At three, Henry still walks on his toes.  For a few kids, this can be a symptom of very serious health issues, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.  Thankfully, both his pediatrician and the physical therapist don't see any cause for concern in this regard.   For Henry, his toe walking is what they call ideopathic toe walking.  In other words, unexplained or habitual toe walking.  The treatment focuses on stretching and constant reminders to walk flat footed.  I can't tell you how many times a day I tell Henry "no toes."  Thankfully, he actually complies, for a few seconds at least.  The stretching is an interesting thing though, because three year olds do not follow directions well.  At least not my three year old.  So, we are trying to find games to encourage stretching his calf muscles and achilles tendons, such as walking like a penguin, squatting like a duck, walking up hills, ramps or slides with his heels down.  The physical therapist recommended another 8 sessions over the next six months.  Henry loves this idea because the sessions take place in a big jungle gym, where he can climb on all sorts of things and play with new toys.  The physical therapist indicated that toe walking is the single most common "issue" that she sees kids for (especially toddlers) and that all of her patients, except one, has outgrown the habit.  She was very casual and nonchalant about it, like it was an everyday thing for her (which apparently it is).  It gave me comfort to know that Henry will likely outgrow this "phase" (with a little coaching), just as he outgrew the shrieking phase.  As a treat for being a good listener, Henry got a smoothie at Jamba Juice.  He was one happy camper!