WAG In-toeing concerns

[GymRays]

My DD is 7 and has a habit of In-toeing (pigeon toe). She has been doing gymnastics for 5 years in rec class and now pre team for a couple months.
Most info I find and her pediatricians says there is nothing Dr's can do and it's commonly grown out of in their teens but I'm wondering if being a gymnast there is more of a concern for injury? Obviously her form in skills is affected and is being worked on during stretching to help turn out. She does do conditioning in class too. Does anyone else have a child that toes in? Would seeing a PT be worth it?

 

[triplethreat+1]

My DD toes in too, when she was three the pediatric podiatrist said she had both rotated hips and curved in feet. He recommended ballet class.
Well, we did that for two years but she was way too bouncy so we switched to gym. After a year of rec and a year of advanced rec, there was some improvement. But after a year of preteam, she improved a ton. Her coach had noticed it and really emphasized turn out for her. It's still a bit of a struggle for her but she is continuing to get better.
On the plus side, I've read that a very slight toe in can actually help (?? read that here on chalkbucket but can't remember why/how). My theory is that by the time /if she gets to the higher skills where it matters, she will be able to control her position well enough.

 

[azara]

I don't have much advice on the pigeon-toedness (other than I am, and I promise it doesn't affect my life too much ). However, you may want to make sure your daughter's ankles don't roll inwards, which is caused by a shorter tendon/muscle on the inner calf (not sure what it is, to be honest) than on the outside of the leg. This can be pretty easily corrected with orthotics, but it shouldn't be left alone or it can cause joint problems later in life. I mention this, because although rolling inwards doesn't cause pigeon toes, they may come hand in hand, as in my case. Just something to be aware of!

 

[gymmomtotwo]

My DD'S coaches noticed that at age 5. she has outgrown it at age 10.

 

[Pea'sMom]

Pea does the opposite, and still hasn't outgrown it yet. She has to work extra hard to get those toes in and pointy! I did take her to an orthopedist when she was younger with the same concerns as you, but they focus on structure and said she would outgrow it. We ended up at a PT last year because of nagging hip and knee pain. She was extremely helpful since they focus on the mechanics. Basically since Peas was toeing out, she had weaker butt muscles which she overcompensated for using her inner thigh and knee. Pea does targeted strength for her weaker muscles and hasn't had any pain since! So if your worried, my suggestion is to have her evaluated by PT.

 

[Seeker]

I would definitely take her for an evaluation. If there are things she can do to help it correct as she grows, I would want to know that now so she can incorporate those things into whatever stretching and strengthening program she's doing at the gym.

 

[GYM0M]

Ballet class! A good ballet class will help.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

My DD is 7 and has a habit of In-toeing (pigeon toe). She has been doing gymnastics for 5 years in rec class and now pre team for a couple months.
Most info I find and her pediatricians says there is nothing Dr's can do and it's commonly grown out of in their teens but I'm wondering if being a gymnast there is more of a concern for injury? Obviously her form in skills is affected and is being worked on during stretching to help turn out. She does do conditioning in class too. Does anyone else have a child that toes in? Would seeing a PT be worth it?

no, no overt concern for injury than the norm.
no, PT not worth it.

 

[2G1B]

I was VERY pigeon toed as a kid. The doctor talked to my parents about leg braces...

But first they tried easy stuff. I was never allowed to sit on my knees like a lot of kids do, that would reinforce the problem. I was encouraged to always sit "criss cross apple sauce" (wasn't called that when I was a kid), that pushed my feet the right way.

As a 40 something my left foot will still fall in if I put my legs out in front of me; but my right foot now falls out. The best I can do with my left and stay comfortable is to have it point straight up, it doesn't "like" to go out. But, I was able to do dance and turn the foot out when I was standing.

 

[ayyyrial]

I wonder how pigeon-toeing would affect balance beam, mostly. I've heard if you turn your feet in slightly on the beam, it creates a slipping hazard.

 

[GymRays]

Thanks for all the replies. She mentioned today her knew was bothering her. Pain scale 1-10 she gave a 5. She still played and acted normal so I didn't think much of it. I remind her to not sit in a "w" all the time. On beam she is always told to keep her feet turned out or at least straight. I think I worry most that she will twist an ankle but glad to hear she will probably grow out of it.

 

[gymjunkie]

no, no overt concern for injury than the norm.
no, PT not worth it.

I'm going to disagree with this. The pigeon-toed kids I have worked with did have more injuries (foot/ankle/knee and hip) and if the toe-in wasn't corrected when they were pre-competitive, they did all benefit from PT later. The biggest injury though was to their self-esteem because most coaches would constantly badger them about their foot and leg form.

In my case, I actually look for young kids for our developmental program who are slightly pigeon-toed, because they are generally faster runners and more athletic (especially compared to kids with flared feet). When they are very young they are easy to work with in terms of teaching them how to rotate out from the hip and how to walk the beam toe-heel with a turn out. If you wait until they have learned a good amount of skills, they are generally not interested in hearing about their feet (ie: "who cares about my feet being turned in -- didn't you see that I just did a ROBHS?!"). They also just tune out the correction, because they don't feel like they have any ability to make the correction.

Here are the thoughts of someone with a similar opinion: http://elitetrack.com/blogs-details-3820/

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i stand by what i stated. coaching for over 40 years. several kids with this condition. many to L10 nationals. couple of national team members both men and women. no overt problems...ever.
as far as later in life...we all have physical problems from aging. it's not exclusive to athletes or to gymnastics.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I wonder how pigeon-toeing would affect balance beam, mostly. I've heard if you turn your feet in slightly on the beam, it creates a slipping hazard.

tell that to Juliet Bangerter. never stopped her. always nailed beam.

 

[gymjunkie]

i stand by what i stated. coaching for over 40 years. several kids with this condition. many to L10 nationals. couple of national team members both men and women. no overt problems...ever.
as far as later in life...we all have physical problems from aging. it's not exclusive to athletes or to gymnastics.

I would agree with you about really talented kids who have the ability to make it to those levels. As I stated in my post, I specifically look for young developmental kids who toe-in, because they are often superior athletes. The same does not apply to kids with compulsory-only potential. Those toe-in kids are more injury prone and they have a terrible time making the aesthetic corrections needed to score.