In-toeing in children, where the feet point inwards when walking or running. Common, and worth measuring rather than waiting out.
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If this sounds like your pain, there is a structural reason for it. The assessment is what finds it.
In-toeing can come from the foot, the shin or the hip, and which one it is matters because they behave differently as a child grows. Where the shin bone itself is twisted inwards, the body often hides it by tightening the hip muscles rather than correcting it, so it can look better while the twist is still there.
Pigeon toe often comes from the shin bone being twisted inwards, called internal tibial torsion. It is often inherited, passed down from a parent.
The measurements behind it
Measured at the ankle, a healthy shin turns slightly outwards. A negative angle means it turns in.
Ideally the hip turns equally in and out. Tight outer hip muscles show the body is compensating.
A twisted shin often makes the feet roll in as well.
The in-toeing you can see often lessens. But where it comes from the shin, the body usually hides it rather than correcting it: the hip muscles tighten to turn the leg back out. That is why it is worth assessing rather than waiting.
With the shin turning in below the knee and the thigh turning out above it, the knee is caught in the middle. In adults this is linked to knee pain.
Monitoring as your child grows, stretches for the hip muscles that have tightened to compensate, orthotics where the feet roll in, and regular re-measurement. See children’s podiatry.
Pigeon Toe is diagnosed with the Najjarine Biomechanical Assessment, so treatment is prescribed against a finding rather than a symptom.
We assess how your child stands, walks and runs, and compare that against what is expected for their age.
We work out which level the rotation is coming from and explain it in plain terms.
Where nothing needs doing we will say so and set a review. Where it does, treatment is staged around growth.
All ten treatments, starting with those most often used for pigeon toe. Which you need is decided at the assessment; most plans combine more than one.
Pigeon toe, flat feet and growing pains, assessed while the foot is still developing.
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A full lower limb assessment from the feet up. It is the foundation of every treatment plan we prescribe.
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Prescribed devices that change how your foot meets the ground. Manufactured on site at our Kirrawee head office.
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Hands-on work addressing restrictions across the foot’s 26 bones.
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Acoustic waves using kinetic energy to stimulate repair in tendon and soft tissue. We use it most often for persistent heel pain and Achilles pain.
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Fine needles inserted into trigger points to break down restrictive tissue.
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Running injuries, return to sport, and footwear that matches your gait.
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Routine care including ingrown toenails, corns and calluses.
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Therapeutic support to offload tissue while it recovers.
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Injectable therapy to stimulate a repair response. Paired with prolotherapy.
Read moreEvery clinic books into its own diary. Choose the one nearest you.
Explained what was expected for his age and what to watch for. No pressure to treat.
Patient and kind with my daughter, who was nervous walking in.
Told us to come back in six months rather than selling us something.
The in-toeing you can see often lessens. But where it comes from a twist in the shin bone, Dr Najjarine’s clinical view is that the body usually compensates at the hips rather than the twist resolving. That is the reason to have it measured rather than waiting to find out.
There is no fixed age. If you have noticed it or your child is complaining of pain, that is the time.
Usually not on their own. The assessment establishes whether anything is worth doing at all.
It can be. That is one of the things we check rather than assume.
No. You can book directly.
Treating lower limb pain since 1990
Choose your clinic and book straight into its diary, or call and we will point you to the right practitioner.
