Toe Walking: Better Ankle Control—One Hop at a Time 🦶🏾 | Pediatric PT Toe Walker #44

🎯 Hopping Forward for Distance | Advanced Control for Toe Walking 🎯🦶🏾 Pediatric Physical Therapy | Mykael #44 👋🏾 Meet Mykael Mykael is an 8-year-old child with persistent toe walking. His toe walking increases when he is tired, anxious, sick, or emotionally dysregulated. He walks more on his toes when barefoot or in less supportive shoes, and less when wearing supportive athletic shoes 👟🦶🏽. Toe walking runs in Mykael’s family — his grandfather, uncle, and father are also toe walkers. Hinged plantarflexion-stop orthotics had been recommended by his therapist; at this visit, his family shared that he has not been wearing them. 🦶🏾 What We’re Working On In this session, Mykael practices hopping forward on one foot for distance while staying outside visual boundaries. In physical therapy terminology: Jump = two feet Hop = one foot This activity focuses on: controlled forward movement ankle stability during repeated hops balance on one leg maintaining alignment over longer distances endurance and consistency We also compare performance between his right and left foot to identify differences in control. 🟦 The Setup We take this activity outdoors to a cul-de-sac and create a simple boundary using small cones. Mykael’s job is to: 🔹 Hop forward on one foot 🔹 Stay outside the cones (a visual pathway) 🔹 Continue as far as possible without stopping We measure total distance using a measuring wheel (rollatape), which adds a clear, objective goal. This is not timed — the focus is on distance and control, not speed. To keep the video efficient, portions of the hopping are sped up. 👀 What You’ll Notice Watch closely as Mykael hops: the shin moves forward over the foot the ankle controls forward motion repeatedly balance is maintained on one leg over distance subtle differences between right and left sides fatigue and effort over longer distances You’ll also see how motivation and competition influence performance. 🧠 Why This Helps Toe Walking Children who toe walk often avoid: forward movement of the shin over the foot (tibial progression) sustained single-leg balance controlled lowering through the ankle Hopping for distance requires: repeated ankle control forward tibial progression with each hop dynamic balance on one leg endurance across multiple repetitions These are all important components of more stable, heel-down walking. 🏡 Ideas for Home Practice You can try a similar activity using: cones or small objects sidewalk chalk lines driveway or sidewalk boundaries Focus on: staying within a path hopping on one foot maintaining control rather than rushing gradually increasing distance For some children, measuring distance or “beating a score” can be very motivating. 🕒 Timestamps (Chapters) 0:00 – Intro to Amy and Mykael 0:25 – Explanation of distance hopping challenge 1:15 – Right foot hopping distance result 1:30 – Left foot hopping trial 1:50 – Distance comparison and discussion 2:05 – Why this activity helps toe walking 2:15 – Wrap-up 🦶🏾 Toe Walking Video Series (Mykael) This video is part of an ongoing pediatric physical therapy series addressing toe walking through: balance strength motor control functional movement 🔗 Watch the full Mykael toe walking series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjP470frDXaGDv2XrtEqPEUx 📚 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 🌍 Captions & Translations Subtitles are available and can be auto-translated into many languages 🌍👧🏽👦🏿👩🏾‍🦱👨🏽‍🦱