Big Toe, Big Consequences

At the Movement Assessment Technologies, we always assess movement function top to toe, especially the big toe.

Often as health and fitness professionals, we neglect the importance of proper foot and toe function. These are areas hidden away in our shoes that just provide something for us to stand on.

The foot itself is similar in structure and just as complicated as our hands. We spend the majority of our day covering them in rigid, sensory deprivation chambers called shoes which could be comparative to wearing mittens on your hands. Ask yourself how dexterous your hands would be in this scenario. It makes sense then that feet can be such a common location for dysfunction. 

This is particularly true for the big toe which doesn't receive the adequate extension stress it needs to perform its job as the driver of the foot's windlass mechanism and act efficiently as the last part of the body to touch the ground in walking.

If you have a patient or client who suffers from pathology such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, anterior hip pain, etc consider whether or not the big toe could be a factor.

If you would like to learn more about the Movement Assessment Technologies approach to treating the feet check out https://www.matassessment.com