{"id":9972,"date":"2025-09-03T19:40:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T17:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/divi5.janert.info\/?p=9972"},"modified":"2026-10-17T13:41:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T11:41:25","slug":"walking-on-tiptoe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/janert.info\/en\/auf-zehenspitzen-gehen\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking on tiptoe"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section\"><div class=\"et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>When children frequently walk on tiptoe, it is not simply a motor skill, but a profound physical reaction to internal stress that can quickly become established and become a habit that is difficult to overcome.<\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tiptoeing as a physical protection mechanism<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The so-called <strong>Tendon control reflex<\/strong>, an archaic protection and survival mechanism inherent in all of us, is normally only activated for a short time: for example, in situations of <strong>Stress<\/strong>, danger or uncertainty. This reflex prepares the body for <strong>Fight or flight<\/strong> i.e. to remain steadfast or to defend oneself against danger, i.e. to be prepared to run away or to have to fight.<\/p>\n<p>The calf muscles shorten, the knees stiffen, the movement shifts to the tips of the toes, the Achilles tendon contracts and its counterparts, the shin muscles, relax. This forces the rest of the body to adapt, i.e. the back and neck muscles must also tense up in order to maintain balance. This reflex actually protects us from overextension and injury, but in some children this state remains permanently active and becomes a motor habit. The body is permanently in \u201ealarm mode\u201c, so to speak, which leads to a state of persistent tension and immobility and thus also restricts the natural flow of spinal fluid in the brain.<\/p>\n<p><em style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Tim (4 years old) has been walking almost exclusively on his toes since learning to walk. Physiotherapy treatment had little lasting effect. Even after an operation to stretch his Achilles tendon, the old way of moving returned just a few weeks later. It was only during integrative body-oriented developmental support that it became clear that Tim was living in a state of chronic inner tension.<\/em><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Why children live \u201eon tiptoe\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many children who permanently walk on their toes live in a state of inner tension, which they unconsciously compensate for through strong muscle tension.<\/p>\n<p>The permanent muscle tension and the strong sensory feedback from the calves and feet gives them a sensory feeling of stability and control that they can create themselves at any time, and helps them to perceive and feel themselves as firm and solid, or to develop a body feeling at all.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, these children often have shortened calf muscles, a noticeably high level of tension in the entire body and often slowed or atypical speech development. The focus of these children often remains internally directed, while auditory or social stimuli from outside are less noticed.<\/p>\n<p>Even after operations designed to make toe walking physiologically impossible, it is often the case that the child returns to their usual toe walking shortly after the operation because it has become part of their identity and their inner sense of security.<\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Speech development and body tension - an underestimated connection<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Der Sehnenkontrollreflex beeinflusst nicht nur das Bewegungsverhalten, sondern steht h\u00e4ufig auch im Zusammenhang mit verz\u00f6gerter Sprachentwicklung. Unter st\u00e4ndiger Muskelspannung zirkuliert die R\u00fcckenmarksfl\u00fcssigkeit eingeschr\u00e4nkt, das Gehirn ist auf \"\u00dcberleben\" statt auf Kommunikation programmiert.<\/p>\n<p>Only when this complex situation is approached holistically and with exercises that consciously shift neuronal attention from the survival reflex to relaxation exercises for the calf muscles and the entire back, so that this tension is reduced, can speech also develop and in some children both problems can be solved in a short time.<\/p>\n<p>Tiptoeing should therefore not be viewed in isolation, but as a secondary protective reaction to early childhood stress, sensorimotor immaturity or emotional overload. Holistic support that combines bodywork, attachment strengthening and neurological integration can help affected children to find their way out of the constant internal alarm and thus open themselves up to new play, learning and relationship experiences.<\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>When development needs more support<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A simple exercise is to apply gentle pressure to the soles of the child's feet while lying down. This relieves the pressure on the calf, the child can feel itself and take its first steps out of constant alarm mode.<\/p>\n<p><em>Tim war drei Jahre alt, als seine Mutter begann, diese \u00dcbung mit ihm zu machen. Er ging seit dem Laufenlernen fast ausschlie\u00dflich auf Zehenspitzen, sprach kaum, war schreckhaft und schien in sich gekehrt. \"Zuerst war er sehr skeptisch und hat die Ber\u00fchrung an den F\u00fc\u00dfen nicht zugelassen\", erz\u00e4hlt seine Mutter. \"Ich habe dann jeden Abend, wenn er schon im Bett lag und etwas ruhiger war, ganz sanft meine H\u00e4nde auf seine Fu\u00dfsohlen gelegt. Anfangs nur kurz, ein paar Sekunden lang. Irgendwann hat er begonnen, gegen meine H\u00e4nde zu dr\u00fccken. Das war wie ein kleines Spiel zwischen uns.\" <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Mit der Zeit wurde Tim entspannter. Seine Mutter berichtet: \"Nach ein paar Wochen konnte er beim Anziehen auf beiden F\u00fc\u00dfen stehen, ohne sofort in den Zehengang zu wechseln. Und er fing an, einzelne W\u00f6rter zu sagen.\"<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The combination of physical contact, pressure regulation and emotional safety helped him to slowly emerge from his inner protective mode.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>A simple but effective exercise: pressure over the soles of the feet<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The child lies relaxed on its back or sits comfortably.<\/li>\n<li>An adult places <strong>both hands on the soles of the feet<\/strong> of the child and<\/li>\n<li>presses the <strong>Ball of foot upwards with gentle pressure<\/strong>, so that the <strong>Consciously relax your calf<\/strong> can.<\/li>\n<li>This can result in a small <strong>Create power play<\/strong>The child actively presses against the hands - which can often have an additional releasing effect.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This exercise has a positive effect on some children <strong>not only reduces toe walking<\/strong>, but also to <strong>first progress in language development<\/strong> led.<\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Conclusion: Recognize stress - don't just look at your feet<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Toe walking is <strong>not just a motor phenomenon<\/strong>, but often an indication of <strong>underlying neurological and emotional protective reactions<\/strong>. Holistic support that includes both <strong>Bodywork<\/strong> (e.g. with Brain Gym) and <strong>Relationship work<\/strong> can help children to relax, let go - and explore new avenues in language, movement and social learning.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<span class=\"et_bloom_bottom_trigger\"><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-autistischen-kindern-bruecken-bauen"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Auf Zehenspitzen gehen - Autistische Kinder<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/janert.info\/en\/walking-on-tiptoe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Auf Zehenspitzen gehen - 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