Stretching The Muscles Of Your Feet!

Stretching your feet muscles will help keep your feet flexible and strong which in return help reduce muscle soreness and improve range of motion. This helps reduce muscle imbalances and decrease the need for the ankle to roll in. Thus, reducing the jamming of the big toe which initially contributed to bunion formation.

Gentle and controlled stretches will help improve the strength and flexibility of your muscles to better support your foot.

Here are some simple examples on how to stretch your foot muscles at home! Add two of these stretches to your morning routine at least 5 times a week

• Place marbles or a towel under your foot then flex your toes trying to grasp the marble/towel.
• Pick up a washcloth or marbles with your toes to strengthen your arch.
• Stand on one foot (without holding onto anything) for 10 to 20 seconds. Balancing strengthens your whole foot and improves your overall balance.
• While barefoot, rise on your toes, strengthening your calves and foot.
• While barefoot, put your weight on your heels and spread your toes on both feet as far as you can. Do this while maintaining your balance.
• Draw the alphabet in the air with your big toe to strengthen your ankle.
• Roll a tennis ball or foam roller under your foot to stretch your plantar fascia. This is a tough tendon running from the ball of your foot to your heel.
• Lift each toe individually from your big toe to your little toe, then put them back down in reverse order.

Wear Right Fitted Shoes With A Wide Toe Box.

Wrong footwear such as shoes with a tight toe box can increase the severity of the bunion and the rate of which he deformity occurs. Look for shoes with a wide toe box allowing your toes to be able to flex and be able to move.

Wearing A Night Splint.

Wearing a night splint is another option that can help stretch the muscles around your big toe and improve your flexibility. As your toe is held in the correct position and the muscles become more flexible, the long bones in your foot are no longer being pulled out of alignment.

Orthotics

Custom-made orthotics help place your foot in the neutral position (the ideal foot position) reducing the pronation forces which cause the bunion. The orthotic will stop the jamming of the big toe joint, thus forcing the body to use other digits for toe off

Dr. Mechaourab
Foot Lab Podiatry