November 13, 2023
Stretches for foot pain on the top of the foot can go a long way for people with osteoarthritis, gout, extensor tendinopathy and tendonitis, bunions, problems with the bones of the foot (stress fractures) and more. Exercises for top of the foot pain will target the extensor tendons that run down along the top of foot with many of the stretches focusing on toe movement.
Let’s explore the top exercises and stretches for the prevention of foot pain, and ultimately, foot pain relief!
Exercises for Pain on the Top of your Foot
Toe Flex and Raise
Towel Scrunches
Toe Splay
Great Toe Extension Stretch
Top of the Foot Stretch
Photo by FreePik
Toe Flex and Raise
This exercise works the tibialis anterior, a large muscle on the front of your leg that can have an impact on top of the foot pain. As a bonus, it can help strengthen your ankles and treat plantar fasciitis.
While standing, flex your toes high up towards the sky.
Move forward so you are on your tiptoes.
Lower yourself back slowly.
Repeat the movement 15 times.
Click here to see a Feet First Clinic demonstration!
Towel Scrunches
This exercise, also called toe curls, is all about keeping the top of your feet and toes strong. You’ll need a towel or blanket (or any fabric you can pick up with your toes).
Stand up with your feet flat on a piece of material and keep your heels anchored to the floor. You can also sit on a chair as long as you can do the same movements with your feet.
Scrunch your toes while grasping the material, pulling it towards you, almost like you are trying to pick it up with your toes. Make sure your heels stay firmly planted on the floor as you do this.
Try the movements 15 times each, or more if you’re comfortable. You can also try two feet at the same time, or alternate.
Click here to see a Feet First Clinic demonstration!
Photo by iStock
Toe Splay
This is one of the top exercises for improved mobility, and also one of the easiest to perform!
Sit down on a chair with your back straight and feet resting flat on the floor.
Spread your toes apart (without touching them) and hold the position for five seconds.
Repeat 10 times.
Refer to Healthline for a demonstration of this exercise!
Great Toe Extension Stretch
This is a great exercise for arthritis, which often plagues the top of the foot with aches and pains.
While sitting on a chair, place the foot experiencing pain on the top of your other knee. If both feet are painful you can alternate.
While firmly holding your heel with one hand, use the other to pull your big toe back towards your ankle.
Wait until you can feel the stretch in the bottom of the foot (don’t worry, it still helps the top of the foot too!).
Repeat two to four times.
Switch feet and repeat.
MyHealth Alberta provides an excellent image reference for this exercise!
Top of the Foot Stretch
Given its name, this stretch is pretty straight forward in terms of how it can help your top of the foot pain, but it may also help with shin pain. This stretch has different variations but we’ll keep it as simple as possible.
Sit at the very edge of a chair.
Extend one of your feet back with the top of the foot facing the floor and the knee pointing downward.
Gently press the top of the foot and toes against the floor until you feel the stretch working.
Repeat this movement ten times or less if you need and alternate between feet.
Refer to Athletico for a demonstration of this exercise!
Photo by iStock
October 30, 2023
Sometimes your foot health depends on orthopedic shoes. For people with bunions, hammertoes, flat feet, arthritis, and other foot deformities, orthopedic footwear can make the difference between a painful day and a day where you can manage simple activities. Let’s take a look at the benefits of orthopedic shoes, the best practice for selecting orthopedic shoes, and how to use them.
Photo by iStock
Benefits of Orthopedic Shoes
Orthopedic shoes come with a wide array of qualities that promote foot health and tackle foot conditions. Here are some of the most notable:
Studies show that orthopedic footwear can improve the ability to maintain continuous walking in people with chronic foot and ankle injuries.
Many patients report their foot pain diminished after using orthopedic shoes for 1-2 years.
Orthopedic shoes can help you manage bunions so they don’t get worse and require surgery later.
They can help with proper foot alignment for people with plantar fasciitis and flat feet.
They usually provide extra heel cushioning and arch support.
To accommodate wide feet, orthopedic shoes often come with features like adjustable straps, extra wide toe boxes, and flexible fabric.
Photo by iStock
Selecting Orthopedic Shoes
Since choosing orthopedic shoes can be difficult, you should schedule a foot assessment with your chiropodist who will then prescribe orthopedic footwear. That said, here are three of the most important tips for finding the right orthopedic shoes for you:
Since your foot size can over time, especially with age, you should always triple check that your shoes fit snugly.
Make sure your new shoes are designed to best support your specific concern. For example, shoes with adjustable straps are good for wide bunions.
Consider your lifestyle and daily needs. Search for orthopedic sneakers if you’re trying to be more active, or orthopedic dress shoes if you need something for work.
Ensure any accessories like socks or custom orthotics fit properly with your shoes.
Usage of Orthopedic Shoes
You should use orthopedic shoes for activities they are designed for. For instance, if you have orthopedic dress shoes, use them for work and special occasions.
Furthermore, after wearing your shoes for some time, schedule a check up with your chiropodist so they can assess your progress and make any necessary adjustments or recommendations.
Photo by iStock
October 26, 2023
Do you need wide shoes for fall? If you have bunions, hammertoes or another condition, or you’re getting older or experiencing a life changing event like pregnancy, your feet can change in size and often become wider. That’s why it’s important to measure your feet or attend a proper shoe fitting and update your shoe size — don’t just assume you were the size you were when you were a teen or young adult!
Luckily, fall footwear trends are considering people with wide feet and there are several comfortable shoes and fashionable footwear choices available this fall season! Let’s explore your top options. And don't forget to keep reading (you'll find some tips for finding wide shoes at the end!).
APEX Sierra Trail Runner
For both your adventure and wide shoe needs, the APEX Sierra Trail Runner has men and women covered. It has a high, wide toe box and provides increased stability control for those who overpronate, or in other words, those with flat feet who walk with their arch collapsing downward or inward. Overpronation can put avid hikers at serious risk of sustaining a foot injury. Other features for this shoe include a rubber outsole for traction on slippery surfaces, a breathable open air mesh and leather upper, and 5/16” removable depth in two layers for fitting flexibility.
APEX Sierra Trail Runner for men. Source: APEX
Clarks Wave Range AP
This wide shoe is designed with weatherproofing materials, making it a waterproof shoe which is highly valuable during the fall months. Like the APEX trail runner, it’s designed for excursions and exploring. It also features smart WaveWalk technology (rocker sole) which uses a heel kicker to ensure smooth forward motions and a concave heel for excellent shock absorption to prevent the impact of the ground from damaging your joints.
Clarks Wave Range for women. Source: Clarks
Clarks Wave 2.0
For strolling around the city on brisk fall days, the lightweight yet sturdy and protective Wave 2 gives you the pedestrian power you need. The waterproof dark brown oil leather and textile upper keeps your feet dry and safe from the cold rain, and the removable footbed absorbs impact and shock, but also allows you to replace it with prescribed orthotics. Other notable features include the EVA midsole, and the internal full-grain leather sock that provides extra comfort.
Clarks Wave 2.0 for men. Source: Clarks
Anodyne No. 55 and No. 56
The Anodyne 55 (for women) and 56 (for men) trail boots keep your feet from feeling fatigued during hiking adventures. They are also intentionally designed to accommodate widening issues like swelling, bunions, hammertoes, and more. Compared to standard shoes, Anodyne trail shoes run half a size to a full size bigger. Other features include a protective toe box and easy-to-use hook and loop closure.
Anodyne No. 55. Source: Anodyne
Tips for Finding Wide Shoes
Get a Shoe Fitting: Get fitted by a professional at a foot clinic. Your feet might not be the same size, and the width can vary too. Sizes also vary from brand-to-brand, so don't just go by measurements.
Understand Shoe Sizing: Shoe width is indicated by letters. For instance, "W" may indicate wide, and "N" may indicate narrow for the same shoe style (this may vary so double check). Don't accidentally buy a narrow version of a shoe!
Adjustable Features: Look for shoes with adjustable features like straps, laces, or buckles. These allow you to customize the fit according to the width of your feet.
Consider Materials: Choose shoes made with soft, flexible materials that can stretch a bit to accommodate wider feet.
Visit Your Chiropodist: They can offer personalized advice and might be able to recommend specific shoes.
September 14, 2023
Bunions - or for those who have them, the painful, bony nuisances that form at the big toe joint - are a common foot condition for older people, especially women. While surgical intervention can sometimes help those with debilitating bunions, lifestyle changes and effective management strategies can help you avoid a bunionectomy in many cases.
Moreover, surgeries are usually only necessary if your bunions cause regular functional and mobility problems and chronic pain, which is often not the case.
Let’s look at the causes and symptoms of bunions and explore how you can manage them without invasive measures.
Image Credit: Fabrikasimf from Freepik
Symptoms of Bunions
Bunions protrude from the side of your big toe, forming an “L” shape angle. Additional symptoms of bunions include:
More corns and calluses than you would normally have due to the big toe rubbing against the second toe
Mild redness, pain, and swelling
Limited movement in the big toe
Severe bunions can cause overlapping toes, pain that doesn’t subside, and toe angulation of more than 40 degrees.
Photo credit: istock
Causes of Bunions
The main culprit? The wrong shoes!
Wearing high heels may make you feel good about yourself aesthetically, but they can damage your physical health over time and are one of the main causes of bunions in women. Narrow, tight, and pointed shoes (often the design of stilettos and other types of heels) squeeze and push your toes together and forward unnaturally, increasing pressure on the big toe and leading to bunion formation.
Having another condition that targets the joints, like osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid arthritis, or one that causes an abnormal gait, like flat feet, can also hint at bunions in your future. Activities where your toes are more vulnerable than the rest of your feet, like dancing, may also be a risk factor.
Image by rawpixel.com from FreePik
Bunions: Management Strategies
You can tackle a mild bunion problem from home and with regular visits to the chiropodist. Here are some of the best ways you can prevent bunions from ruining your day or getting worse:
Change your footwear: Ditch the high heels for comfortable alternatives and shoes with extra room in the toe box. If you’re not sure where to start, attend a shoe fitting.
Try bunion splints or aligners. They can hold the affected joint in place.
Therapeutic taping can help hold the joint in place and temporarily relieve pain.
Shoe stretching may help secure more room in the toe box and take pressure off the bunion.
Try these 5 simple exercises for bunions. They are relatively easy, low-impact, and don’t require exercise equipment.
Get custom orthotics. Orthotics might reduce excess pressure on the big toe joint and correct any biomechanical issues that are contributing to your bunions (plus they're also super comfortable!).
Ask about shockwave therapy. This innovative, non-invasive, and quick procedure is an effective management strategy for bone and joint conditions. It can help relieve pain caused by muscle tightness around the bunion.
It's important to remember that bunions don't disappear like other conditions sometimes do. But successfully practicing these treatment methods can help you avoid surgery.
If you suspect your bunions are too severe for these strategies, speak to your family doctor.
Bunion products available at Feet First Clinic
June 22, 2023
The human foot has 26 bones, 39 joints, and over a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments that keep it working properly. Let's learn about the most important bones of the foot, what they do, and their role in foot health.
Understanding the Bones of the Foot
Tarsal Bones
Metatarsal Bones
Phalanges
Treatment Options for Bone-Related Foot Pain Causes
Photo by macrovector on Freepik
Tarsal Bones
Mount Sinai notes the tarsal bones in the foot are responsible for ankle movement and make up the rear of the foot. There are seven tarsal bones in total:
The Talus Bone: This is a small bone, sometimes called the ankle bone, that helps you stand and keeps your ankle moving smoothly.
The Calcaneus Bone: Also called the heel bone, this is a large, strong bone at the back of the foot that transfers body weight to the ground.
The Tarsals: Five bones that work together to form the midfoot arch. The formation of these bones may pronounce your arch (high arches) or flatten it (flat feet). The height of your arch determines the level of arch support you need from your shoes or custom orthotics.
Tarsal bones also act as critical attachment points for various leg and foot muscles.
Metatarsal Bones
Five tubular bones in the middle and the top of the foot (the forefoot) connect the tarsal bones to the phalanges. Metatarsal bones look similar to each other and are numbered one to five, or from medial to lateral, by healthcare professionals. Each bone contains the following parts:
Proximal base: Connects to the tarsal bones
Slender shaft: Extends along the forefoot.
Distal head: Connects to the phalanges in the toes
Metatarsal bones are the most vulnerable to blunt-force foot injuries. Their main function is to support body weight, help with balance and walking, and they play a role in forming foot arches.
Phalanges
The phalanges are 14 bones that make up the toes. The big toes and other toes consist of different phalanges:
Big toe: Consists of the distal (joint close to the top of the toe) and proximal (joint in the middle of the toe) phalanges
Other toes: Consist of three smaller phalanges called sesamoids, which look like pea-shaped bones
Phalanges bend your toes properly and help with lateral movements, navigating strange surfaces, and balance.
Image by brgfx from Freepik
Treatment Options for Bone-Related Foot Pain Causes
Foot pain often correlates with the bones of the foot, namely blunt force trauma (stubbing your toes, dropping an object on your foot, etc.) and stress fractures. Here are some additional common issues:
Osteoarthritis: Causes inflammation and pain via degradation of the cartilage in the joints
Bunions: Associated with arthritic changes in the bones of the foot
Sesamoiditis: Pain and inflammation in sesamoid bones in the toes
Hallux Rigidus/Limitus: Decreased range of motion and stiffness in the big toe joint
Hammertoes: Bent and contracted toes caused by arthritic changes
Practicing foot care by performing stretches and exercises before and after all activities can help with many of these problems. Gentle exercises can also be a part of the rehabilitation process for healing fractures and trauma. However, if your injury is acute, you should practice the RICE method from home (rest, ice, compression elevation) before beginning rehab.
Other treatment options include wearing proper footwear and inserts, taking a safe amount of anti-inflammatory medications, splinting, bracing and taping methods, aligners, and potentially shockwave therapy. You may need surgery if your condition is considered prolonged and severe.
May 8, 2023
Bunions can be a debilitating condition, but there is still plenty of hope to manage it and reduce the pain it causes.
Bunions are joint deformities located at the base of the big toe. You may see bony bumps on the foot's inner side, which can be painful and uncomfortable. Bunions can also affect the alignment of the foot and cause the big toe to point inward toward the other toes. (They can also exist along the outer edge of the foot at the base of the little toe. These are known as bunionettes.)
Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment methods can help spot bunions early and get you back to feeling better soon. Below you'll find a comprehensive guide to understanding and treating bunions.
Causes of bunions
Various factors, including genetics, foot shape, and footwear, cause bunions. Family history can dictate the likelihood of bunions due to inherited foot shape. People with foot shape abnormalities or imbalances like flat feet, low arches, or loose joints are also at a greater risk of developing bunions as these underlying conditions put more pressure on your big toe and surrounding areas. All of these risk factors are quite common; roughly six percent of Canadians yearly have foot injuries, bunions, and flat feet or fallen arches.
Additionally, external factors like tight or narrow shoes or high heels can squeeze your toes together, which adds pressure and restricts movement across the toes. Over time, your big toe joint may shift, causing it to protrude outwards. Shoes with narrow toes can trigger and catalyze developing bunions, but footwear alone is not solely to blame.
Symptoms of bunions
The most prominent symptoms of bunions are pain and discomfort in your big toe. You may also experience swelling and redness and have a large bony protrusion at the base of your big toe. Due to the outgrowth and irritation, the skin over the bunion may become thickened and callused.
The toe may become rigid and difficult to move in more severe cases. You may also experience difficulty wearing your regular footwear as the protrusion (resulting from your bones shifting) increases your feet's surface area. The rigidness of the big toe makes the big toe more susceptible to strain and over-exertion. Lack of flexibility further imbalances the weight across your feet and toes. This causes a vicious cycle that can further aggravate the bunion.
Treatment for bunions
Although bunions can be painful, not all hope is lost. You can do plenty to recognize bunions early or treat them via surgical or non-surgical methods to improve your quality of life. Depending on the severity, you can slow the progression of bunions or find ways to manage the discomfort effectively.
The exact treatment typically depends on the severity of the bunions, a person's lifestyle demands, and their age. Milder cases may be managed and treated with non-surgical treatments, including specific devices, such as bunion splints or custom orthotics, or physical therapy. The more severe cases may require surgery, which in and of itself has its pros and cons.
Non-surgical treatments for bunions
Non-surgical treatment for bunions focuses on limiting further aggravation of the affected joint and slowing the bunion's progression. This in turn decreases pain and improves quality of life. Such treatments include:
Alter your footwear: Wear shoes with a wide and deep toe box to reduce pressure on the bunion. Avoid wearing high heels or shoes with pointed toes.
Use padding and taping: Apply a pad or cushion to the bunion to reduce pressure and protect the skin. Taping can also help to keep the foot in a more natural position. You can also try bunion splints and bunion aligners to properly align the joint as you go about your daily activities.
Custom-made orthotic inserts or generic inserts like Superfeet may help to redistribute pressure and support the foot. Padding or cushions to protect your feet may also help.
OTC pain relievers like ibuprofen can help reduce and keep swelling and inflammation at bay.
Stretching and strengthening exercises can improve the flexibility and strength of the foot and ankle. Strengthening the muscles around the joint also halts the vicious cycle of bunion growth.
Maintain a healthy weight to prevent sudden impact on your feet and toes.
If non-surgical treatment for bunions hasn't improved the condition, you can explore surgical treatments, which we dive into below.
Surgical treatments for bunions
More than 100 different types of surgeries for bunions exist. An orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist may perform the surgery, depending on the nature and type of procedure. With surgery, the goal is physically to eliminate the bunion. However, surgical treatments have risks, and a bunion may still return in the future, so you should consult a medical professional. No one surgery is perfect for everyone; it's highly individual.
Some of the more common surgeries for bunions are:
Bunionectomy is a surgical procedure in which the bony bump is removed from the joint. The goal is to realign the joint with the rest of the foot to improve the position.
Osteotomy is a procedure that involves cutting a portion of the bone to improve the toe's position.
Arthrodesis (commonly known as joint fusion surgery) is a procedure that adjoins joints together.
Resection arthroplasty is a procedure that removes the damaged joint. The joint is then rebuilt during the procedure.
Artificial implant insertion is a procedure where an implant replaces the deformed first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint.
