I would like to try manipulation for a stiff toe problem. However, I am concerned that this may just cause further damage to the cartilage/joint and/or speed up the arthritis. I have read that rest is the best thing. What do you think?
I damaged my toe about 8 years ago which set off this problem and have periodic bouts of pain, which last a week or so and then can clear up for a couple of months. My doctor says the range of movement is good enough that it would not classify for surgery on the NHS in the UK (I could go private but I am not keen on surgery in any event). I am 57 and pretty active e.g. running, walking.
I have been dealing with a painful great toe on my left foot for one year now. It started while I was rock climbing. I fell from a hand hold and stubbed my toe. Immediately, I knew I had an injury. I went to a podiatrist who gave me a shot of cortisone.
That helped and I thought I was cured. I went climbing again and within minutes I felt the same pain. I went back to the podiatrist and he put me on an anti-inflammatory. I decided to get a second opinion. I went to another podiatrist and he said I need orthotics. No relief, so I went to an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon. He told me to go to physical therapy and get a CAT scan. The physical therapy did not help. The CAT scan showed a bone bruise at the base of the great toe…which was almost 5 months after the accident date. The surgeon then told me to get a carbon fiber foot insert with a Morton's toe extension. I continued to deal with the pain and he gave me another cortisone shot…it did not help.
On January 1, 2010, I went snowboarding and fractured my left ankle. The surgeon said hopefully being in the cast will also help my toe to heal. I just had the cast removed two weeks ago and my toe is actually hurting even more. I just made an appointment for acupuncture to help with the pain management. The surgeon said he thinks only surgery will help me at this point and he is not a 100 percent sure it will help. Any advice would be appreciated.
________________________________________ Gary:
As per usual, this is confirmation yet again that most of the fixes for this kind of sore toe end up failing many people miserably while costing somebody (often the tax payer) a whole lot of money.
I just want to thank you for your video on manipulating hallux rigidus. Twenty-three years ago, when carrying my first child on my front, my right big toe became very painful. A podiatrist said it was because I have short toes and high arches so that the toe gets jammed when I walk, and prescribed orthotics. They helped a bit, but I eventually stopped wearing them and just tried to get really wide-toed shoes for my running and walking.
A few months ago I decided to learn to racewalk for a particular marathon, and the rolling stride looked like it might be a problem because of my toe. So I was looking around on the net and discovered your video, went to a local chiropractor and told him about it, and after 4 bouts of his manipulation the change was amazing. I continue to work on the toe myself and have hopes that one day not only the occasional pain, but also the enlargement of the joint will be gone completely.
So thanks very much for what seems like a very common sense and literally hands-on treatment for a long-term injury that may have resulted originally from a mere stubbed toe!
Best wishes,
Mary, USA
Do you have a question? Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.
I hyperextended my right big toe and fractured one sesmoid bone. I did not receive any treatment for this injury for over 7 months because the toe gradually improved and then only bothered me with heavy physical activity. Then after several months it started to get worse.
I saw a foot doctor had a CT and determined a cyst was forming and that there was cartilage damage. Conservative treatment was to wear a boot for 6 weeks to let the tissues calm down and heal.
Over the course of the 6 weeks I moved the toe frequently and began to try strengthening the toe and it began to heal a little but the whole foot and leg became significantly weak from non-use. So now I have had the boot off for 3 weeks and I am continuously trying to strengthen the toe joint and walk around barefoot which is most comfortable. I try to stretch it often as well.
All in all, it seems to be improving but I don't know what to do next. I can walk pretty normally now but still ice the toe when it gets sore. I feel like if I can bring the strength up in the toe then the toe will continue to improve.
Let me know what you think if you can. My purpose in sending you my experience was to just let you know how the type of you treatment described has worked for me.
Zack
____________________________ Gary responds:
You are doing things right Zack.
As an onservation, I am constantly disappointed that so much resource goes into diagnosis and treatment by expensive specialists and high-tech services; while there is near total neglect of after care. It is regaining that last 10% of function that is so challenging and often so vital for a full recovery following injury or illness.
walk barefoot, in ankle deep water, walk on sand and grass. Do the exercise in my foot pronation video. Get some fins and flutter kick length after lenght of a swimming pool.
You might want to fit a pair of Formthotics Shock Stop inner soles from my web store to protect your feet from excessive stress when resuming running.
Please let us know how you get on.
Do you have a question? Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.
Well, I never thought that a video showing a guy pulling a pretty woman's toe would generate so much interest! The following is further advice in support of this video....
If the joint is beginning to ossify, then this is the time to commence mobilising it. If you leave it be, then the odds are that the toe will simply fuse and you don't want that.
It should be done by an experienced massage therapist, osteopath or chiropractor. At the same time, listen carefully to the advice of your Dr. Remember that I am not present, so my advice must be carefully and cautiously considered.
I recommend that you commence with a few weeks of glucosamine with fish oil and the Active Elements Tissue Salts. You should also be taking 2,000mg of vitamin C daily and large amounts of MSM. It is essential that your body has the nourishment to capitalise on the effects of the mobilisation.
Only mobilise the toe once a week and do so for at least 4 sessions. The pain of the procedure should diminish by about the 3rd session and recovery should be quicker and residual pain should be less as well. It is important that the person doing the procedure tractions the toe to gap the joint before actively mobilising it.
Do not use pain killers to dull any pain associated with the procedure. Use pain to guide how much work to have done on the toe at any one time. Pain killers are out.
I think you should also look at getting a pair of Formthotics Shock Stop heat moulded inner soles and wear them in your shoes all the time. These will support the foot and the toe while not restricting movement.
Continue the nutrition for as long as there is any pain and then for at least a month after.
While the intention is to help and not to sell you things, here are the links to what you need and delivery to the US is usually about 2-4 weeks and the prices are definitely competitive:
You should be looking closely at your diet ensuring that everything that goes into you is as close to natural and unprocessed. Include fresh red meat, preferably grass fed and foods high in dietary sulphur like fresh garlic.
No junk food, go easy on the coffee and no artificial sweeteners, preservatives etc.
Do you have a question? Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.
