Vitamin or nutrient deficiencies: Deficiencies in magnesium, zinc, or thiamine (a B vitamin) levels can be a reason for toe-walking. Vitamin B12 deficiency for instance can affect the nervous system and affect the way of walking.
Vitamin B12deficiency symptoms may include: strange sensations, numbness, or tingling in the hands, legs, or feet.
The NHS notes that vitamin B12 deficiency can cause “loss of physical coordination (ataxia), which can affect your whole body and cause difficulty speaking or walking”. The Mayo Clinic describes the walking style saying a person with vitamin B12 deficiency can walk unsteadily, or with their feet set wide apart.
Toe walking sometimes can result from certain conditions, including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and autism spectrum disorder.
Stage 1 is decreased levels of vitamin B12 in the blood. Stage 2 is low concentration of vitamin B12 in the cell and metabolic abnormalities. Stage 3 is increased levels of homocysteine and MMA and decreased DNA synthesis resulting in neuropsychiatric symptoms. Stage 4 is macrocytic anemia.
A lack of vitamin B12 can cause neurological problems (issues affecting your nervous system), such as: vision problems. memory loss. pins and needles (paraesthesia)
Key points about vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
Without enough red blood cells, your tissues and organs don't get enough oxygen. Without enough oxygen, your body can't work as well. Symptoms include weak muscles, numbness, trouble walking, nausea, weight loss, irritability, fatigue, and increased heart rate.
Toe-walking and sitting with the feet out to either side of the body may not seem alarming, but they are both glaring red flags of abnormal development and indicate a sensory processing concern.
Idiopathic toe walking (ITW) is a pathological gait pattern in which children walk on their tip toes with no orthopedic or neurological reason. Physiological characteristics of the gastrocnemius muscles, the Achilles tendon, and the foot of toe walkers differ from subjects with a plantigrade walking pattern.
To screen for vitamin B12–deficiency anemia, your healthcare provider may order blood tests to see whether you have low hemoglobin or vitamin B12 levels. Tests to screen for vitamin B12-deficiency anemia. A complete blood count measures hemoglobin. Another blood test measures vitamin B12 levels in the blood.
Low levels of vitamin B12 in the body can lead to wide-ranging symptoms. Of the many, two of the lesser-known symptoms include “tingling” or “numbness” in the feet, according to the Mayo Clinic. This occurs because vitamin B12 contributes to the healthy functioning of the nervous system.
Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia is usually treated with injections of vitamin B12, called hydroxocobalamin. At first, you'll have these injections every other day for 2 weeks or until your symptoms have started improving. Your GP or nurse will give the injections.
Cerebral palsy, congenital Achilles tendon contracture, and paralytic muscle illnesses like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy may all induce toe-walking. Toe-walking has been linked to developmental abnormalities including autism and other myopathic or neuropathic conditions.
Research suggests that toe walking can be a sign of autism, particularly when it's combined with language delays. In general, toe walking is more common in children with ASD and other neuropsychiatric conditions than in the general population. One study looked at the toe-walking data of 2,221,009 children.
Toeing the line: Many children with autism cannot easily flex their ankles past 90 degrees, causing them to walk on tiptoes. Children who walk on their toes are more likely to have autism than other forms of developmental delay, according to a study published in January in The Journal of Child Neurology.
With some children, it's easy to see that toe walking is a result of sensory-seeking. Walking on the toes provides increased proprioceptive input through the leg joints, thereby giving more feedback about the child's position in space and his or her relationship to the floor.
In the vast majority of cases, however, persistent toe walking is idiopathic, which means that the exact cause is not known. Older children who continue to toe walk may do so simply out of habit or because the muscles and tendons in their calves have become tighter over time.
Toe walking is common among infants first learning to walk. A majority of children will stop toe walking on their own without intervention. Physical therapy, bracing and casting are used to treat toe walking, with surgical procedures available if these methods are unsuccessful.
There are certain foods that also need a cut-down in case of vitamin B12 deficiency. “Some foods and drinks can interfere with vitamin B complex intake like alcohol, caffeine and processed foods, etc should be avoided completely,” Shah added.
Vitamin B6 deficiency is associated with microcytic anemia, electroencephalographic abnormalities, dermatitis with cheilosis (scaling on the lips and cracks at the corners of the mouth) and glossitis (swollen tongue), depression and confusion, and weakened immune function [1,2].
B12 deficiency will also make the tongue sore and beefy-red in color. Glossitis, by causing swelling of the tongue, may also cause the tongue to appear smooth.
Diet. Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.
Once you begin treating your vitamin B12 deficiency, it can take up to six to 12 months to fully recover. It is also common to not experience any improvement during the first few months of treatment. If you can, it's a good idea to address what's causing the deficiency.