This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXx3J_IBPzc&t=209s
Mike: Do you have some big old bunions that just won't go away?
Brad: Well stay tuned because we have five non-surgery-based recommendations for you that can help you out.
Mike: So before we get into all the details of this, we'd like to say that we've taken this information from Dr. Ray McClanahan, who works at Northwest Foot and Ankle, and he is a podiatric surgeon with a lot of experience.
Brad: That's right. He's really done a lot and under his observation and experience, he says the first thing you must address is the footwear that you're wearing. So if you look at these nice socks showing the bones of the first or great toe, we want to have a shoe that keeps enough room so the toe can go straight and does not get pushed toward the other toes. Very important concept. If you do not do this, the rest of these recommendations will not be helpful.
Mike: So what you want to do is you want to get some shoes that have a wide toe box. So these are some running shoes I had. These are just the Altra brand. Because they're running and road running they're a little bit thicker cushioned, but they are zero drop, so the heel is the same height as the front.
Mike: And the toe box for bunions is extra wide. So that allows your toe to spread and be more natural. The problem with most modern shoes is the toe box gets narrow and it makes your big toe go in, which can create bunions.
Brad: That's right. So these are a good sample of the traditional pointy shoes pushing those toes together. It's no good.
Brad: Secondly, what you'll want to do once you get the proper footwear is to get some of these spreaders, toe spreaders. Now these are called YogaToes. You can see how they look, and they are made to fit between your toes. I already have a pair on. You can see they literally spread the toes out wide. Now with these YogaToes, the price is nice, they are about $37. However, you cannot, obviously, wear them in your shoes, which you will want to do, depending on your severity and what you want to do. But Mike does have a pair you can wear in your shoes while you walk or run.
Mike: Yes. These are called the Correct Toes. You could put them inside, on your foot, and put a normal sock over it if you have normal socks. If you have toe socks like me, you can simply put them on the outside. These will stay put. And they also have additional spacers on each end. So for me, my big toe spreads pretty well, but my pinky toe does not. So I might need to put a little bit of extra spread in there to keep it in place. It comes with instructions. And these are actually created by Dr. McClanahan, so you know they're recommended by a podiatrist.
Brad: That's right, and I've walked and run with those in, and they're very nice.
Mike: Yeah, and I will say my father has a very large bunion and he's been wearing these and runs with them and he has seen good changes and he enjoys them.
Brad: Say no more. We've got proof in the field.
Mike: Yes. The next tip we have for you is something you don't have to purchase anything with, and it's simply trying to stretch your big toe back to where it's supposed to be in a nice straight line. So you can just grab onto your toe and pull it back to normal, stretching between the toes here.
Brad: That's right. So yeah, it's like you said, when you got nothing else to do, if you're working at a desk, take your shoe off, if you got a second, give your big toe a stretch.
Mike: You can hold this for a time or you can do reps. Just don't pull it so hard that it's painful. Obviously, if you have a severe bunion, it's go taking to take time. Wearing a toe spacer is going to be more convenient because it's just passively stretching for however long you can tolerate wearing them. Where this is pretty short-lived. It's just as long as you're doing it.
Brad: Right, but it's important. Alright, the fourth exercise, what you'll want to do is actually a massage. Between your great toe or your big toe and your second toe, you come above and you're going to feel a gap between the bones there. And what you want to do is get in that gap. It might be a little sensitive, but you can see you can do it with one finger, you can do it with your thumb, but you're just going to get in there and massage, deep massage in there, and get those muscles loosened up, get that soft tissue loosened up, and that's going to allow mobility in between those two joints and it's going to help allow that great toe and the other toes to become relaxed and separated.
Mike: So if you dig in there, if you see me, I'm actually spreading my toes out so I can get into the muscle belly more because I'm closer together. I just feel like I'm hitting my bones there.
Brad: They're small muscles, but there's definitely muscle belly in there.
Mike: They're touchy.
Brad: Sensitive, huh?
Mike: Yes. And the last tip we have for you is actually applying a little traction to your big toe. So if it's bent in like this, what you wanna do is pull your toe away from you. You're going to be distracting the MCP joint here. And if it's bent in when you're pulling, distracting, you want to try to straighten it and hold it here.
Brad: Yep, and a couple of little nuances you could add to that is to actually grab it, and I'm going to pull, go out laterally or out to the side, and maybe just rotate a little bit. Again, if it creates sharp pain, that's too aggressive. Just a nice stretch, maybe a little pain but not a lot. And you're going to help loosen up those soft tissues and that connective tissue, getting that toe some freedom that it needs.
Mike: All right, so give those different options a try and see what works for you. You definitely want to work on the shoes and the toe spacers, which I would say are important. The other ones are just a bonus.
Brad: And please give us your comments, if you've experienced or you're working on this and certain aspects of treatment work better for you, share it with everyone else. Put it in the comment section, and it's really a nice thing to help other people out through that means. So what else you got to say, Mike?
Mike: Well, I'm going to say if you want more information on feet specifically, you can check out Dr. Ray McClanahan's site, or we also did a podcast with him talking about many of these subjects.
Brad: Yeah, he's definitely a pro expert, and I respect his opinion.
Mike: He's smarter than me.
Brad: Yeah, I can believe it.
Visit us on our other social media platforms:
Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts.
For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways
Bob and Brad’s Products
Pain Management:
C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide
Fitness:
Stretching:
Wellness:
Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop
The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics.
Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.
1 ความคิดเห็น