Leg Pain, Toe Walking, Short Tendons??

Hello! I also wanted to say as a chiropractor that focuses on treating children I have had similar cases that responded GREAT to chiropractic care. Growing pains etc...If the pelvis is misaligned it can cause all kinds of symptoms and issues. However, either find a great chiropractor that will rule out some of the "horrible" things you have read or go the pediatrician route too as that is important. Feel free to email me directly for more information if you wish.

My girlfriend had this happen with her son and ultimately it turned out to be a condition that happens a lot to children that are very tall or grow rapidly. Her son has had two surgeries, one right after he started kindergarten and another during the beginning of 1st grade. So far it seems to be working and he has not been walking on his toes and the pain has subsided. She said they have to take care of it as early as they can so they do not develop too much and make it difficult to correct.

I do not know if this is what is happening to your son but I do know that they seem to be working through it quite smoothly. There doesn't seem to be much trauma on her son and he has not cut out activity when he heals. I would just get to the doc and figure it out. It is so tough to go through things with our children but well worth getting it handled so they can move on and enjoy life.

Good luck!

Did you look up Sever's Disease? It could be that and it's easy to fix.

I had some of the same symptoms when I was 5-7. My Dr. had me walk around on my heels. It was hard and painful at first, but he said that it was the only way (other than surgery) to stretch out my tendons. Every time my mom saw me walking on my toes, she would have me walk on my heels instead. She made a game out of it & would do it with me too. Good luck! I hope it isn't anything too serious. I would definitely have him checked out by his Ped.

-Shellie

All you can do for nopw is stretch him. Get to the doc asap.

shriners hospital. is there one near you? all treatment is free and they are experts.

My son also walked on his tip toes right from the beginning. His right foot eventually settled down but his left wouldn't go down. After several visits to doctors I took him to a pediatric orthopedic specialist. Turns out he has a short heel cord (they just did a simple x-ray to figure it out). The doctor decided to cast his foot - 1 cast a week for 4 weeks. We get the last one taken off on Tuesday. He may need to wear it at night for awhile but she is confident that he will eventually walk fine without surgery. Let me know if you would like more information! My son is 4 years old, so I would suggest making an appointment ASAP. Good luck. Thanks! R.

Hi J.,

Growing doesnt cause pain. If it did, then babies would be crying nonstop while they grow more during the first year of life than any other time in their life.
Growth occurs during sleep. That is why babies sleep so much also.

Anytime you have persistent pain in the joints you should suspect adrenal disease. Especially knees, hips, low back, and also pain in the leg muscles, ankles, toes.

My dd was diagnosed with growing pains at 4-12 because they DIDNT KNOW what it was. That is a catch-all phrase that they get away with that is bogus. Ive done enough research to be a doctor myself- and i have found out that my daughter has adrenal disease (Addisons.) There is also cushings disease, which also causes joint and muscle pain.

Both of these syndromes are very common, (even though the net says they are not) both have lots of symptoms so do look them up on several different sites to get a full picture. Further, anytime there are growing issues (too big for age or too small for age) the endocrine system and adrenal gland should be looked at also.

A SALIVA cortisol test should be asked for. If you can't get it through a doc, you can order it on canaryclub.org through ZRT labs.

As you can see doctors dont want to help find problems, so even getting this test deciphered will be a pain. Even experienced endocrinolgists don't know what the heck is going on half the time. You are going to have to become your son's advocate and do your own medical research. There are adrenal supports groups on yahoo groups.com that can help you navigate the medical results.

Email me with questions,
Gail

Are there any other symptoms other than walking on his toes? Like really clumsy and such? Any problems w/any elimination?

You have just described me at age 10. Go ahead and take him in to a doctor now. He most likely won't grow out of this, and leaving it unaddressed could cause huge problems as he continues to grow. Please don't let the doc frighten you into surgery, or tell you it's the only option. Nowadays I think docs like to correct this with a surgery in which they nick the Achilles tendon to help it stretch, but when I was a kid, physical therapy was also an option. It still could be if you find the right practitioner. It's a slower fix, but an effective one - worked for me. For what it's worth, here's my experience.

My parents took me in when I reached a point where it was physically impossible for my heels to touch the floor. I saw a podiatrist, who referred me for weekly PT. I got massages and learned stretches that I still do daily. I did PT for more than a year, but I'm glad I didn't have to endure a surgery that has the side effect of potentially weakening the tendon. My heels do now touch the ground easily, and I can do almost anything I want, even though I don't have the full flex range of the foot that most people do. The only lasting impact is that I have great-looking calf muscles, and downhill skiing in regular boots doesn't work well because of the angle of the foot. (Telemark skiing and cross-country work fine.)