Post 18: Freeing the Feet: Why Fascia Therapy Helps Children with CP Move Better
Why Your Child’s Feet Hold the Key to Better Movement
If you’ve ever worried about your child’s feet—whether they’re too tight, too pointed, or always inside their AFOs—you’re not alone. For many years, I used to look at children’s feet only in terms of range of motion, alignment and function : dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, pronation, valgus, varus, are they tight? Do they move? My job was to check alignment and keep the ankle at 90 degrees with orthoses.
But after years of learning from fascia research and watching children transform when we “free the feet,” I see things differently now.
Your child’s feet are not just passive “end points.” They are living, sensing, communicating anchors—feeding the whole body with information and stability. When we unlock their potential, everything changes: posture, relaxation, and even confidence.
Each foot holds 28 bones, 112 ligaments, and 21 intrinsic muscles. That’s an incredible amount of structure working together to support movement. Add to that a dense network of sensory receptors constantly sending signals to the brain, and it becomes clear: the feet are one of the richest sources of information for your child’s nervous system. When the feet are trapped in shoes or AFOs, much of that sensory “conversation” goes missing. Imagine trying to type with your keyboard covered in tape—you could still do it, but it would be harder and slower. That’s what happens when the feet can’t feel. Sensory deprivation at the feet ripples upward, influencing posture, stability, and even how the trunk and head organize themselves.
Fascia is at the heart of this story. This jelly-like tissue connects every part of the body, creating balance between tension and compression. When fascia is strong and well-organized, your child’s body has a natural rhythm. Movements are fluid, joints are supported, and muscles can relax. This is what the principle of biotensegrity teaches us: every small part matters to the integrity of the whole.
But with cerebral palsy, fascia often collapses. The body loses stability, joints compress, and children use tone to compensate. That’s why you see tight feet or curled toes—it’s their way of creating stability when fascia can’t do it alone. The body is ingenious at finding solutions, but they often come at the cost of stiffness, discomfort, or imbalance.
This is why freeing the feet is not just about alignment or range of motion. It is about restoring fascia’s ability to communicate. Fascia doesn’t thrive under force—it thrives under subtlety. Tiny shifts, gentle contacts, and moments of freedom reorganize the whole system from the ground up.
Why Stretching Isn’t the Answer
It’s natural to think that stretching tight feet will help. I used to recommend the same thing. But over time, I realized stretching often backfires. When you forcefully stretch a tight foot, you’re pulling against the very mechanism the body is using to hold itself together. The child is relying on that tightness for stability. By stretching it away, we create more weakness—and the child responds with even more tone.
Think of fascia as a sponge. If it’s dry and rigid, pulling on it won’t restore its softness. What it needs is gentle pressure and small shifts that invite fluids to circulate again. That’s when it regains elasticity. The same is true for your child’s feet. Instead of force, fascia thrives on micro-movements. This is why we say: small movements feed fascia.
If you’d like to explore this idea further, I encourage you to read our blog post “We don’t stretch in CP”. It explains in more detail why stretching isn’t the path to long-term change.
What Happens When We Free the Feet
Parents often ask me, “Will something this small really make a difference?” The answer is yes. When children have opportunities to experience their feet outside of AFOs and rigid shoes, the changes can be profound.
Relaxation: Instead of holding tone, the feet soften. You may notice toes spreading more naturally or ankles resting with less effort.
Awareness: The nervous system “wakes up” to new sensations. Children may start noticing the floor, reacting to textures, or responding with curiosity when their feet are touched.
Stability: Balance improves. This doesn’t come from forcing alignment, but from fascia reorganizing itself. The body learns to trust the input it’s receiving and distributes load more evenly.
I’ve seen children who struggled to find comfort suddenly relax when their feet are given freedom. I’ve seen parents astonished at how quickly their child responds. These are not miracles. They are the natural outcome of giving the fascia system the input it needs.
Practical Ways to Begin
You don’t need a therapy degree to start helping your child’s feet. Simple, thoughtful actions make a difference. Here are three places to begin:
Take breaks from AFOs. Even short moments without orthoses allow the feet to move and feel. This is not about rejecting medical advice—it’s about finding safe windows of time where the feet can breathe. We talk more about this in “AFO’s in CP and fascia”.
Invite natural loading. Place a rolled towel, a soft beach ball, or small wedge under your child’s heels when they are sitting. This creates gentle contact that encourages weight-bearing without forcing the feet flat. The body learns through input, not by being forced into shapes.
Offer gentle sensory play. Lightly press or roll a soft sponge across the feet. Explore different textures: a soft cloth, a warm washcloth, a smooth ball. Stop if your child is too sensitive. Let them guide you. The goal is not correction, but awareness.
These ideas are simple, but they awaken fascia and invite the body to reorganize.
Here’s the truth: you don’t have to be a therapist to make a difference. Your presence, your touch, and your choices are powerful. Freeing your child’s feet isn’t about doing more therapy—it’s about giving their body space to feel, stabilize, and grow. And in doing so, you give yourself the reassurance that you are enough, and that small steps can lead to meaningful change.
The feet are not “just feet.” They are anchors, sensors, and guides for your child’s whole body. By freeing them—even just a little—you open the door to better stability, calmer tone, and more joyful movement.
Remember: small movements feed fascia. And small steps create big transformations.
In the next post, I am sharing more information about the feet and how to help them with a video lesson.
Ready to Start?
Take your first step into fascia therapy with our short, parent-friendly workshop:
The #1 Fascia Therapy To Improve Torso Control
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