Starfish Therapies

A pediatric therapy company operating in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. We provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy services in the most beneficial and convenient setting for you and your child, including our clinic, currently located in Burlingame, your home, school or daycare.

  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • FAQ
  • Our Services
    • Motor Smart Kids
    • Continuing Education
    • FREE Resources
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Corona Virus (Covid-19) Response / Move to Telehealth

Walking – Starting at the Beginning

February 15, 2013 by Stacy Menz

IMG_1866

So I mentioned in an earlier post that we sat in on a talk on gait deviations by the Hospital for Special Surgery at our physical therapy conference this past January.  There was a lot of interesting information in it including some great treatment ideas to help us change up some of our usual activities.  I thought I would share some of the information we took away (it may be over a few different posts though).

What are the parts of walking?  There are two main pieces.  There is the stance phase (when you are standing on your leg) and the swing phase (when your leg is moving through the air to take a step).  Stance takes up about 60% of the walking cycle and swing takes up the other 40%.  This is because there is generally a portion of time that both feet are touching the ground.

Some prerequisites for walking according to Perry 1985 are:

  • Stability in stance – this means the ability to maintain balance in standing, an upright head and body, and bear weight through their legs
  • Swing clearance – this means that they are able to stand tall on their stance leg and bend their other leg so that they can clear their foot from the ground to avoid tripping and falling
  • Pre-positioning of the foot – Right before the foot hits the ground the child should ideally be able to have their toes lifted in the air so that their foot is primed as a shock absorber when it comes into contact with the ground
  • Good step length – in order to walk at a functional walking speed steps need to be of an adequate length so that enough ground is covered
  • Energy conservation – Momentum is used during stance and swing to ideally position the center of gravity to minimize muscle contraction and make walking more efficient

Another prerequisite that isn’t mentioned is that a child needs to be able to sit independently in order to walk independently.  I know it seems obvious but I thought I would mention it anyway.

I found this interesting – Normal walking energy expenditure is 2.5 kcal/min.  When walking changes due to musculoskeletal or environmental changes the energy expenditure goes up.  One of the things listed below is an AFO (ankle foot orthosis).  While this increases energy expenditure compared to ‘normal’ walking it may minimize energy based on the way the child was walking before the brace was applied because it can allow for stability and the minimizing of excessive muscle contraction.

Here were some of the factors that they listed:

  • AFO – increases 10%
  • Backpack – increases 15%
  • Stiff knee – increases 25%
  • Fast walk – increases 60%
  • Using crutches to keep weight off of a foot – increases 300%

These are just factors to consider when trying to help your child maximize their energy expenditure, especially in a school setting where they need energy for academics.

I’ll cover more from this talk in a later post.

 

Related

Filed Under: Developmental Milestones Tagged With: education, gross motor development, kids, walking

Search

Subscribe To Our Emails

Subscribe and receive access to our FREE products, incredible list of pdfs, websites, readings, and many other useful recommendations!

Primary Programs

  • Motor Smart Kids
    • Free Play
    • Kids Action Hour
    • Yoga for Kids of All Abilities
    • Functional Movement Screen
    • Video Running Analysis
    • Youth Sports Injury Prevention
    • Concussion Screening and Management
  • Continuing Education
    • PNF 1: Introduction to PNF
    • PNF 2: Accessing the Trunk
    • Strength Training in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
  • Resources
    • Telehealth
    • Informational Handouts
    • Useful Websites
    • Recommended Readings
    • Helpful Products
    • Blogs to Follow
    • Favorite Therapy Products at amazon.com

What Clients Are Saying

Our family moved to the bay area 6 years ago, and Starfish Therapies have been a part of our family ever since. Everyone at the clinic is caring and warm. The owner always looks for ways to improve the clinic and the services provided. The therapists are patient, enthusiastic, and know how to motivate the kids to do their best. Even after moving more than an hour away from the clinic, we kept going back to Starfish for intensive therapy sessions every summer! We cannot thank Starfish Therapies enough for helping my daughter to get stronger and to become more independent over the years!”

Recent Blog Posts

  • Occupational Therapy Round-Up
  • Should I Be Concerned?
  • Dr. Seuss Books and Activities
  • More Ideas for Catching
  • Book Inspired Activities

Disclaimers

  • Full Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • HIPAA Patient Notice
  • Accessibility Statement

Search

Patient Resources

  • New Patient Intake Forms
  • Starfish Resources
  • Our Services

Clinical Resources

  • Career Opportunties
  • Continuing Education

Contact

  (650) 638-9142
  (650) 638-9141
  admin@starfishtherapies.com

Join Our Online Community

Location

BURLINGAME
  1541 Old Bayshore Highway
  Burlingame, CA 94010

© Copyright 2023 Starfish Therapies · All Rights Reserved · Powered by babaLucas

 

Loading Comments...