Treatment of Equinus in Yuncheng

In children, equinus foot positioning is most often linked to calf-muscle spasticity and contractures caused by cerebral palsy. Other causes include a congenital short Achilles tendon, idiopathic toe-walking without any neurological disorder, scarring after an injury, and neuromuscular diseases such as SMA or muscular dystrophy.

The child walks on their toes and cannot fully lower the heel to the ground when standing or walking, and dorsiflexion at the ankle is limited. With one-sided equinus, the gait is asymmetric, the child tires faster, and there is sometimes pain on exertion. In children with cerebral palsy, equinus usually appears alongside other signs of spasticity.

Before the video consultation, the clinic needs a medical summary with the diagnosis (if one has already been made) and a video of the child's gait — how the foot lands while walking and whether the heel can be placed flat on the floor while standing. A foot X-ray is not required in advance: if indicated, it can be taken locally at the hospital.

The clinic lists equinus foot as an indication for multifunctional limb rehabilitation physiotherapy: low-frequency pulsed current is applied to muscle groups in a specific sequence, imitating normal movement and correcting the abnormal motor pattern. The method is used together with physical therapy.