Beat Toe Walking! Brick Balance Progression 🧱🦶 | Pediatric PT #37

🧱 Beat Toe Walking! Brick Balance Progression 🧱🦶 | Pediatric PT #8 👋🏾 Meet Mykael (Again)! When we started filming these videos, Mykael was 7 years old. He’s a persistent toe walker and a total star. ⭐ His toe walking tends to get worse when he’s anxious, tired, sick, or emotional. He also walks more on his toes when barefoot or in less supportive shoes, and less when wearing tennis shoes. Toe walking runs in his family—his grandfather and uncle are both toe walkers. Mykael wears hinged plantarflexion stop orthotics, as recommended by his current therapist. In this episode, we work on one of the most important motions for kids who toe walk: 👉🏽 getting the tibia (shin) to move forward over the foot while the heel stays down and the child balances. I set up a line of bricks like a narrow balance beam. Mykael stands in tandem (one foot in front of the other) on the bricks while we pass a ball back and forth. As we progress, the bricks are placed farther apart so his stride length and challenge increase. On the last level, strict tandem is too hard—so I widen the bricks into more of a narrow stride stance so he can still succeed. This activity helps: • practice ankle strategies for balance • encourage functional dorsiflexion (shin forward over the foot) • keep the heel down in a long stride position • build dynamic balance while reaching beyond the base of support By changing the spacing and width of the “beam,” you can: • grade how hard the stretch and balance are • combine stretching, balance, and function in one playful task • adjust the challenge without giving up on the goal of heel down and shin forward 💛 I really enjoy working with Mykael, and I hope you’ll enjoy him too. 🕒 Timestamps (Chapters) 0:00 – Intro to Amy, Mykael, and toe walking 0:20 – Why shin forward and ankle strategies matter 0:40 – Setting up tandem stance on bricks 0:55 – First ball-passing challenge 1:10 – Moving to the next brick for a bigger stretch 1:30 – When the last brick is too hard 1:50 – Widening the bricks into a narrow stride stance 2:05 – Heel down, foot straight, and dynamic balance 2:25 – Wrap-up and where to find more toe walking videos 🦶🏽 Toe Walking Video Series (Mykael – Video #8) I walk through a progression of pediatric physical therapy exercises to address toe walking—focusing on strength, flexibility, balance, and better movement patterns. 🔗 Watch the full series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjP470frDXaGDv2XrtEqPEUx If you’re new, start from the beginning for best results. 📚 Books by Amy Sturkey Children’s Educational Books: "A is for Autism" → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB "D is for Down Syndrome" → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 "C is for Cerebral Palsy" → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP "A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR "A is for Anxiety" → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V "P is for Poop and Pee Accidents" → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 Professional Pediatric Physical Therapy Books: "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips" → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees" → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 "Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles" → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD ✉️ Have Questions or Suggestions? Feel free to reach out: amysturkey@gmail.com Please note: I cannot provide specific treatment recommendations for children I have not personally evaluated. 🌍 Captions & Translations You can turn on subtitles and auto-translate them into many languages so viewers around the world can follow along—even if English isn’t your first language. 🎥 Thank you for watching! If you found this video helpful, please like, subscribe, and hit the bell 🔔 to get notified when the next one comes out.