tiptoe walking

[starflowersunrise]

Hi
My daughter has just turned six started tiptoe walking for past 18 months (before this she had a normal heel-toe gait) she also has developed  high arched (pes cavus) feet.  We've seen the paediatritian who has diagnosed very mild diplegic cerebral palsy from clinical examination.  There is a history of muscular dystrophy in family, but her kinase levels were normal.
Is it possible to have symptoms developing so late for cerebral palsy + is it possible to diagnose cerebral palsy from clical examination alone?  Would she warrant further investigation for a muscular dystrophy or charcot-marie-tooth if her kinase levels are normal?
helpful comments would be very welcome! many thanks

[starflowersunrise]

Thanks both for your comments
My daughter doesn't have pain in arches, but does complain of pain in shins.  Her physio said that it would not be beneficial to get specially made shoes/inserts
She has no history of prematurity/birth trauma and has not had the stiffness until recently - but as you say if it is mild cp it may take this long for symptoms to appear

[meikman]

Their was a concern for my son that he might have cp.  He was born 8 weeks early and was very stiff.  His Dr said that if he did have cp that first of all it wouldn't be dx until he was around 3 or so and that it is believe that there are people that have cp and that it is so mild that they don't even know it and that it poses no problems in their lives.  Hopefully this is what your DD will experience.  I am not sure but I believe that cp is dx by clincial history of the patient.  Like with my son he had such stiffness and with time his stiffness didn't go away and he then devoloped problems walking and with his premature birth.  So it might be possible to be dx later than usual if no sign are apparent as they just might be so mild.

When I was young I would walk on my tippy toes until adulthood.  Don't really remember when I stopped I think it was when I was pregnant with my first baby.  I also had a high arch.  I believe I did it at first because it was comfortable and I could also I remember walking like that so that I could walk by my sleeping Dad undetected when he was napping on the couch.  Then I believe it just became a habit.  I only remember walking on my tippy toes when I was barefoot.

[RockRose]

Could she be toe-walking simply because her arches hurt?  My sister had to wear corrective shoes when she was 5,  for that condition,  and I think in her case it was mild enough that she isn't having trouble with it anymore.   But I do remember walking was painful for her.

Have you tried arch support inserts or other corrective shoes?

Best wishes.