The Functional Foot

Big toe:

That big toe of yours is really important! Can you bend it upward when standing? Is it really bendy? Is it strong? The big toe’s ability to move is vital to how forces from the ground are sent up your entire leg, how your leg muscles are used and how you hold the rest of your body. The foot has more nerve endings per square centimetre than any other part of your body! So the big toe is paramount for proprioception: our ability to know where the body is in space, providing our primary sensory connection with the ground, constantly relaying information that helps us react to our environment.

2nd toe:

Is your second toe longer than the big one? If so, you join up to 30% of the world’s population in having a rather long second toe. Another interesting fact is that the Achilles tendon (the tendon attaching to the back of your heel bone) is the strongest & largest tendon in the whole body! There are 20 intrinsic foot muscles that work to move your feet and the ability of the heel to rise is powerful in helping our centre of gravity remain as steady as possible when we walk.

3rd toe:

‘Slow and steady wins the race’…..well, we don’t have to be slow! But, we need to be able to remain stable when we’re propelling ourselves forward. So the strength of our core and legs alongside our coordination, all play parts in having happy feet. Women are four times more likely to have foot problems than men, something that might be coming down to our shoe choices…high heels and toes with pointy, narrow toe ends can cause multiple foot issues.

4th toe:

“The jaw bone is connected to the toe bone” The foot doesn’t work all on it’s own. As the heel strikes the ground, the leg naturally rotates slightly inward, so your knee’s ability to cope with these little twists and turns is essential for healthy comfortable feet. And of course your knee’s function can be influenced by how your hips work….and those hips are connected to the pelvis, which is connected to the spine, connecting to the head, and it to the jaw! So that’s why as osteopaths, we are both asking all sorts of seemingly unrelated questions about other parts of your body, when you’re coming in for help with your feet (and visa versa).

5th toe:

There were 5 in the bed and the little one said ‘roll over, roll over’ . The pinky toe is essential for balance and helps propel us forward. If you’re struggling to balance or have foot pain, you may wonder if you need insoles or orthotics. These are designed to support foot biomechanics and the reduce impact that walking and running can have on feet that aren’t working as well as they could. This might be due to injury, overuse, lack of self care, genetic conditions or diseases. They can be really helpful in many cases, acting as a tool that can help by encouraging healing and reducing pain both locally and throughout the rest of the body. Ideally, active rehabilitation of mobility, strength and coordination can be gradually introduced so as there isn’t a reliance upon them for the rest of your life. However, in some cases of injury or disorder, it is appropriate to have orthotics as a longterm aid, enabling your feet and the rest of your body, to work to the best of it’s capability.