• Welcome to Autism Forums, a friendly forum to discuss Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, High Functioning Autism and related conditions.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Private Member only forums for more serious discussions that you may wish to not have guests or search engines access to.
    • Your very own blog. Write about anything you like on your own individual blog.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon! Please also check us out @ https://www.twitter.com/aspiescentral

Toe walking and uncomfortable, painful calves

Amerimutt

New Member
Supposedly, I was diagnosed with PDD NOS in school. Possibly, one of the symptoms I experience is toe walking. Walking for long distances is difficult, because almost always a sharp pain sets in. I suspect it's because toe walking strains my calve muscles. But walking on my heels does not feel correct or natural either.
Do you need to wear special shoes for this problem?
Part of the problem seems psychological. I do not like being around other people in what seems like a vulnerable stance or position and feel like I always need to be capable of fast movement.
Right now one of my calves is very uncomfortable.
Is there any way to solve this problem besides medical treatment or intervention?
To clarify : the toe walking is not pronounced and most people probably don't notice it. But, instead of landing first on my heel when walking, I land on my toes.
 
Last edited:
Frankenstein shoes might do the trick

frankenstein.jpg

They also come in women's sizes

stack-201-7-platform-ankle-boot-with-side-zipper-in-black-19.gif


You can kiss fast getaways goodbye, but you will have the advantage of having the higher ground.
 
Perhaps scheduling an appointment with a podiatrist might be more pragmatic than focusing on anything neurologically based.

Would be interesting to know the results of such a meeting and possible treatment without having introduced autism into the exam process at all.

Though of course there's no telling how an MD specializing in podiatry might respond. It would also be interesting though if they have a lot of feedback from autistic patients. First time I ever gave this a thought. Hmmm.
 
Last edited:
I have a suggestion for easing the pain in your calf muscle. Stretch the calf muscle by pulling your toes up, towards your shin.
There are other calf stretches you can Google.
 
A lot of soccer players tend to walk on their toes, even on asphalt. It might be the construction of their shoes or their habits moving around the field. Not sure. If you can, get in contact with a medial professional in sports medicine. One who works at a university might be more accessible and agreeable to talk to you. A leg massage might do you well. Epsom salts?
 
Interesting. You know, I can remember walking mostly on my toes when I was young. And as a young adult I worked in an office with a dress code and I wore heels. Not real high, but high enough that most the weight were on my toes and fronts of my feet. I had a harder time wearing flat tennis shoes and it took me years to get used to wearing flatter shoes. I'm thinking maybe my legs and feet didn't hurt with heels all the time was probably because the shape of the shoe helped even out the distribution of weight. I think a podiatrist is probably a good idea - they could tell you the best shoe. Have you tried that machine at Walmart that computerizes the weight distribution according to how you stand?
 
I have a bad habit of walking on my toes as well. The thing is, is that doing it add a bit of bounce to my walk and I tend to crave that bounciness. The down side to doing this is that it causes uneven wear on the soles of your shoes and if you prop your heels up too high. It will crack the sole in the middle from too much flexing.

One positive about toe walking/bouncing is that is give you incredibly strong calf muscles. At the gym. I have no problem lifting 1200lbs on the calf press machine.
 
Striking the foot toes first when walking is a common autistic trait per the psychs.
I've always walked that way. I too get the sore calves since I am getting older and have
arthritis to go with it.

I've had people try to correct it all my life, beginning with my parents, then physical therapists
put me on the treadmill and kept reminding me to walk it with heel strike first, but, it doesn't feel
normal and resume the way I've always walked.

Calf stretching is helpful. One thing I was told by my podiatrist was to get magnisium oil spray
and spray it on my calves and feet before bedtime and massage it in.
Amazon has it.
It does really help me. Helps restless leg too, with the added benefit it is absorbed easily through
the skin and has a calming affect on the muscles and anxiety.
Nothing harmful about it either.

I have dated two Aspie men in my life and they both had the same type walk.
 
I've had people try to correct it all my life, beginning with my parents, then physical therapists
put me on the treadmill and kept reminding me to walk it with heel strike first, but, it doesn't feel
normal and resume the way I've always walked.

You wanna know of a very effective way to help break the toe walking habit. Get yourself a pair of swim fins and wear them as slippers around the house. It will force you to keep your heels on the ground or you will trip on the blades. Once you get used to walking around the house with them on. You'll soon start walking naturally with your whole foot on the ground. It help me a lot and my shoes last a lot longer now because I'm not wearing out the soles as fast.
 
Very interesting as to whether toe walking is more common among those on the spectrum. I've known many NT children who started out learning to walk by toe walking so I know it is not a gait exclusive to those with autism.

I've been having inflammation and pain in my right heel because my heel strike is hard and I had allowed my calf muscles to get weak. My podiatrist told me to stand on the balls of my feet on stairs facing upward - like you are climbing up stairs - and drop my heels downward while keeping my legs straight. It provides a really good stretch on the plantar fascia muscle on the bottom of your feet and your calf muscles. I'm still icing my heel at least once a day and after about 5 months of this, it is finally getting better. Gel cushion inserts in my shoes help, too.
 

New Threads

Top Bottom