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Injury Treatment and Prevention:
Big Toe Limited ROM - A Potential Solution:
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Learner
Jun 2, 2011, 11:34 PM
Views: 4713
Registered: May 28, 2011
Posts: 187
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This post is intended to help those of you who may have limited range of motion in your big toe, accompanied by pain from it, due to a past injury...
Around 2 months ago, I injured the big toe in my right foot while attempting to break in synthetic climbing shoes that were apparently too small for my feet. (I believe it was at least a hairline fracture or tendon injury, because the pain has lasted close to 8 weeks) Consequently, I have had limited range of motion in my big toe for 2 months and it's been painful to flex the toe past about 35 degrees downward. Today, however, I believe I may have fixed it. Perhaps you could try this method as well, and it may help you too...
I lied down in my bed and flexed all of my toes in both of my feet as hard as I possibly could for around 40 seconds, focusing on using my muscles to match the angles of the big toes--to force the injured big toe into a contraction that would allow the toe to be at 90 degrees just like the other toe. It started at only about 35 degrees. It was painful at first, I gave it my all, at times the toe was 'bobbing', but something surprising was happening. The toe was flexing more and more as this went on! It was as if I was watching my toe come back to life right there. The longer and harder I flexed, the closer it got to the 90 degree downward angle I was aiming for. I pushed through it and, it kept 'bobbing' and somehow it worked its way to 90 degrees until both toes appeared to be at similar angles in a fully flexed position. Miraculously, this seems to have fixed the problem. I now have full ROM in my big toe--something I haven't had for 8 weeks!
There is slight pain when it is fully flexed (at 90 degrees), but I suspect that will disappear as my body once again gets used to using the toe through this range of motion again. I am psyched to be able to flex it in a full range of motion again. I can even do the big toe stretch (used before and after climbing by some) through which you sit in a chair then bend both big toes completely (90 degrees downward), simultaneously placing both knuckles of the toes on the floor. It looks like it hurts when you see someone do it. The fact that I can do this now after this one 30-40 second 'forced flex' session is a miracle. I am now going to do a forced flex session at least once every day, along with the big toe stretch I described above.
I've been devastated by my big toe problem for the last couple of months and thought that losing its full ROM permanently was a possibility. Now I can do things that I've recently only dreamed of. Seriously. Force flex your toes simultaneously for 40 seconds with all intent and focus.
(This post was edited by Learner on Jun 2, 2011, 11:46 PM)
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Edit Log:
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Post edited by Learner
() on Jun 2, 2011, 11:37 PM
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Post edited by Learner
() on Jun 2, 2011, 11:41 PM
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Post edited by Learner
() on Jun 2, 2011, 11:42 PM
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Post edited by Learner
() on Jun 2, 2011, 11:44 PM
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Post edited by Learner
() on Jun 2, 2011, 11:46 PM
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