Pigeon Toes : What You Can Do to Correct It

Pigeon toes is a foot condition that you can notice right away. A person with pigeon toes walks or stands with his or her feet turned in. This can be caused by a variety of reasons, and it may involve one or both feet.

Symptoms :

To determine whether a child or person is pigeon-toed, here’s a list of symptoms that could guide you through:

• When the individual walks, his or her feet are pointing inwards
• The legs tend to look turned in as well
• Pigeon toes often appear in conjunction with other foot conditions such as over-pronation, or flat feet
• It is often noticed more at night when the person is tired
• A pigeon-toed individual is more comfortable sitting in a “W” position

Possible Causes

Both children and adults can suffer from this problem and it can be as a result of disorders within the connective tissues such as:

• Down’s syndrome
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome

Other possible causes are

• 70-degree internal hip rotation;
• Weakening of the muscles indicating ligamentous laxity of hips;
• Forefoot deformity;
• Medial tibial torsion; and
• An illness, such as cerebral palsy

Corrective Measures

Some non-surgical measures that can be taken to correct pigeon toes. In some cases, special braces are worn throughout the day for 3 to 6 months. Someone with pigeon toes has no perception of normal walking because they have become accustomed to the way they walk.

Some braces regulate foot and leg rotation, providing biofeedback to help introduce new motor learning and facilitate motor memory development. This in turn allows them to develop a more normal walking pattern. Also, there are certain exercises geared towards strengthening the lower limbs, which can be performed to improve the condition.

Adults who are dealing with pigeon toes can also use exercises to help correct the problem. The routine includes stability exercises for the core and pelvis, and strengthening exercises for the pelvic and hip muscles. Proprioceptive exercises are also sometimes used. Braces that give biofeedback to help create proper walking memory may be utilised as well. In some cases, a specialist would recommend using custom orthotics to help correct foot deformities.