The pain relieving expert is asked: My mother, I noticed this the other day, one toe is bent inwards very strongly. She has pain in her foot, in her leg and recently in her back. Is there a connection?
“That is very possible. I have often noticed with clients that when a big toe is bent inwards, there are usually other complaints as well.”
Where does this “bent” big toe come from?
“Women have this deformity about 3 times more often than men. The frequency increases with increasing age. The causes are often cited as shoes that are too high and too tight as well as one-sided load angles for the foot. I notice this too, quite often. For example, when I look at “fashionable” women’s shoes, they are always heeled and also very tight at the front, which unnaturally compresses the 5 toes. Also shoes from men have the problem of the tight toe box.”
Does that mean that you are not allowed to wear tight shoes at all?
“That would be best, of course. Sure. The fastest results are achieved by this. However, since pain often occurs due to incorrect tension in the foot, which then spreads further over the leg to the back, it is sufficient to compensate for the incorrect tension with appropriate exercises.”
Do I understand this correctly? Due to the incorrect position of the toe, can pain occur in other parts of the body?
“Exactly. If a person wears shoes that are too tight or shoes with heels, it is explained in very simplified terms as if the toes are missing on both sides of the foot. The body constantly tries to compensate for this. (!)
Try walking for 2 minutes and pull your toes up completely. Left and right.(!) At the same time, with a heel on the shoe, it is as if you are constantly walking just on the ball of your foot. Combine lifting up your toes with just walking on the ball of your foot. For just for 2 minutes, at the same time!It is difficult, isn’t it? And all of this equals your own body for years. It builds up tension in certain areas of the body.”
Yes, but that is only so extreme with people who wear tight shoes, I wear comfortable shoes, I wear sneakers.
“Every conventional sneaker I know has a heel. A small one, but it’s there. Then it just takes a little longer. “
And what is your approach?
“False tensions can be compensated very well by regular exercises. If you wear your usual shoes again afterwards, it is as if you take 2 steps forward and 1 step back. It works. But it takes longer.
Personally, as a practitioner, I would erase the pain from the client and then provide support to remain permanently pain-free. Without the need for further treatment by a therapist afterwards”.
