Why duck footed

It also looks like their knees point inwards or outwards. The femur goes through many changes up to the age of 12 and an inward turn at the hip is more commonly seen in girls. Rotational changes at the top of the leg are also a very normal part of growth. Walking changes from the top of the leg and hip sometimes appear more common in children who frequently W-sit. This sitting position is with their bottom on the ground and legs folded outwards. There is no research proving sitting like this is harmful.

As harm is unknown, it might be best to get children to sit or play in other positions. Parents should seek medical attention quickly if there is pain at the hip or pain extends into the groin while walking at any age.

Children walk in-toe and out-toe for many reasons. Parents should see a Podiatrist if their child is tripping from their leg position when their child is school-aged, if one leg turns substantially more inwards or outwards than the other, seems longer or looks very different compared to the other.

While the duck waddle is adorable in children most of whom outgrow the trait naturally as they develop! It can lead to problems if left untreated. Treating out-toeing and its primary symptom of abnormal gait is, luckily, quite simple!

For many people, simply paying more attention to the way their feet fall as they walk can make a significant impact. The body now has to compensate for this up through the rest of the system.

It does so by internally rotating your shin and externally rotating your femur. Naturally, the hip bone wants to maintain the greatest surface area contact with the femur, so it is the next structure to have a compensatory pattern. The external rotation of the femur means the hip tilts forward to maintain as much contact with the femur as possible. If one side is more externally rotated and the foot is flatter on that side, it can lead to a functional occurring as a compensation leg length discrepancy, which places increased workloads on the lower back.

The Lumbar spine lower spine now has to rotate slightly and flex to keep your body upright, and further compensations occur as you travel up your spine. It could be something you were born with, otherwise known as a congenital abnormality. Or it could be Acquired, something that has developed possibly due to; injury, disease or behaviour. It is likely something you have acquired over the years as in Australia at least early screening will normally show up and congenital abnormalities.

Rolling your ankle is a pretty common way of decreasing the messages coming from your foot to your brain and decreasing the ability of the intrinsic foot muscle to lengthen and shorten. Other back injuries can cause inhibition of your Gluteals, or even something as common as sitting for extended periods of time can lead to tight hips and cause your feet to turn out. Visit Our Brookvale Clinic. It just means you have to make sure the other leg areas are in good working order and able to handle your compensations.

If the problem is acquired, then the good news is you can take back control of your body. Working in increasing foot proprioception joint position , increasing glute activation, and strengthening up the lower limb will all pay for themselves in the long run. Our best exercises to help treat this common condition include:. If you can strengthen the problem areas and retrain your muscles to hold you in a better position, the body will naturally want to return to a more neutral posture.

As always, if you are concerned about your health and posture, go and get yourself checked out by a professional. If you found this article useful, please throw me a bone and share it with others. Once you have your duck feet sorted, it may be worth checking out how to Fix Your Hip Extension. What That Actually Means. Duck Feet: Your Ankles and Feet Reduced Shock Absorption The arch of the foot is designed to provide shock absorption when walking, running and jumping.

Ankle Stability The intrinsic muscles are also responsible for your ankle stability. If the MCL is under constant tension is can lead to increased wear and tear on your Meniscus. Decreased stability in the joints means your muscles have to work harder, making your body burn more energy until eventually, the muscles give up, and you start laying down extra bony growths a term called degenerative joint disease When your cruciate ligaments are placed under constant tension, they can tear or completely rupture.

Turning the foot out shortens your glutes and reduces your ability to contact them further. Try the following: Stand up with your feet at hip-width and your toes pointing straight ahead. Like many postural problems, flat out-turned feet can be split into two main categories. Our best exercises to help treat this common condition include: Rolling out your foot with a ball golf ball works best Small Foot Small Foot with ankle proprioception move other Leg Forwards and back Glute Activation If you can strengthen the problem areas and retrain your muscles to hold you in a better position, the body will naturally want to return to a more neutral posture.

Check out our Better Mobility Program. By Glenn. November 30, Back , Posture. Related posts. July 13, You may be familiar with a more common torsional deformity called in-toeing — being pigeon-toed. With a pigeon-toed gait, you walk with your toes pointed in an inward direction rather than outward. Out-toeing is not typically associated with pain or discomfort. Out-toeing may be more obvious when a child runs than when they walk. You can check for out-toeing in adults by standing naturally with your feet about 1 foot apart.

Look down at the position of your toes — if they point outward instead of straight ahead, you are probably duck-footed. In adults, out-toeing may be mild or extreme.

Children typically outgrow duck-footedness between the ages of 6 and 8. Mild out-toeing can often be resolved with at-home treatment. Here are some remedies you can try at home. Become more conscious of the way you position your feet when you walk or stand. This can help alleviate or reduce out-toeing. Look for orthotic inserts that support and lift the arch of the foot. These may help stabilize the heel and improve alignment.

Exercises that stretch the hamstrings and hips can have benefit for mild out-toeing. Here are some easy stretches you can try at home. Any feeling of pain, discomfort, or a lack of mobility should prompt a call to the doctor for both children and adults.

You may also consider seeing a doctor or physical therapist before trying to treat mild out-toeing at home. A medical professional can determine if your condition is caused by muscle tightness or an outwardly turned tibia or femur.

This can help determine what exercises may be most effective. Here are some of the methods and tests your doctor may use to determine whether you or your child is duck-footed:. Out-toeing, or being duck-footed, is a condition marked by feet that point outward instead of straight ahead.

Adults can also become duck-footed as the result of a sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, injury, or other causes. This condition is rarely serious and typically responds well to treatments at home. It mostly affects children….