Dr. Komarovsky about why a child walks on socks

What measures do not go to parents, to wean their child from walking on tiptoe! Some strictly prohibit the child to rise on his toes, others are beginning to actively lead the crumbs to the doctors, to pass tests and look for the disease that is to blame for everything. And all this because in this way of moving adults necessarily see some kind of “abnormality”.

Complaints that a child walks on socks are addressed to parents and to the well-known doctor Yevgeny Komarovsky, who is pleased to explain what such a walk can mean and how to respond to her parents.

Most often, tiptoeing is not a sign of any pathology, says Yevgeny Komarovsky. For children under the age of 2, episodic attempts to walk on their socks are an absolute norm, which should not in any way worry mom and dad.

Anatomically, this phenomenon can be explained by the fact that in children, even those who have not yet begun to walk at all, the gastrocnemius muscle is quite developed. And when the baby stands up and tries to take the first independent steps, it is the tone in this calf area that can easily put the child on tiptoes. There is nothing terrible in this, because as the rest of the muscles develop, the calves will be less muscular, and the foot will take the correct position when walking.

Quite often, parents are themselves to blame for the fact that the baby walks on socks. This may be due to the fact that from an early age, sometimes even up to 6 months, begin to use devices such as walkers. About the dangers of these devices in terms of the load on the immature spine, Dr. Komarovsky told repeatedly.

However, not all 100% of children who walk on socks have reasons for walking so harmless. There are situations when walking on tiptoe is a sign of some of the serious neurological disorders.associated with impaired muscle tone and pathologies of the central nervous system:

• cerebral palsy;
• muscular dystonia;
• pyramidal insufficiency.

But when one of these diseases in a child is present, walking on socks will be far from the only symptom. Moreover, most likely, parents will learn about the disease much earlier than the baby starts walking. Therefore, if at 2-3 years old the child feels good, he doesn’t hurt anything, he is not disturbed by anything, and the only thing that parents complain about is walking on their socks, then there is no reason to worry, says Yevgeny Komarovsky.

There are kids for walking on socks and the reasons for a different property are psychological. The little dog sees that he is praised for growing up, that he is already big. Naturally, he wants to be even bigger and taller, and therefore he occasionally rises on socks. Often such a walk is peculiar to children inquisitive, very mobile, hurried, impressionable, who are always in a hurry and running somewhere.

If the child has no pathologies, as well as neurological diagnoses, then the parents may be asked how to correct the baby’s gait. Evgeny Komarovsky claims that up to 3 years there is no need to do this purposefully. But some of the measures taken by the parents will help the child to quickly master the correct skills of the feet:

• You can buy baby shoes that will fix the foot well. She should have closed socks and a firm heel. Evgeny Komarovsky advises to choose such models that have a small heel - this will additionally help in the prevention flatfoot. Well, if the shoes will be tightly fastened with Velcro or laces, locking the leg in one position. Special orthopedic shoes when walking on the toes is not required;
• more time should be given to active walks in the fresh air associated with walking, jogging, jumping. Well, if the kid learns to ride a bike, because at the same time he will have to rely on the whole foot;
• at home and in the yard (if the family lives in a private house) the child should walk more often barefoot;
• with a pronounced habit of walking on tiptoes, you can do physical therapy, for this it is enough to contact your local pediatrician, who will give direction to the exercise therapy room;
• a child with the habit of walking on socks should definitely do a daily tonic massage. To massage the legs and feet, you should consult with a massage therapist so that he shows points for acupressure, which allows you to effectively relax the calf muscles and stimulate others.

Unfortunately, the reality is, says Yevgeny Komarovsky, that a mother who turns to the local doctor with complaints that the child walks on socks is likely to receive recommendations to start giving the child medication. There is nothing to worry about that the doctor will prescribe vitamins and massage.

But often the child is prescribed not so harmless methods of treatment. So, it can be recommended nootropic drugs, vascular, sedative. Yevgeny Komarovsky advises to avoid their use for no apparent reason, that is, the presence of a serious (often congenital) disease of a neurological nature. These medicines have a lot of side effects, and a healthy child who just does not go the way his mother wants, they are absolutely not needed.

For more information about this problem, see the short video of Dr. Komarovsky.