Mobility Minute – Great Toe Mobility
A Runner’s Guide to Physical Therapy: Great Toe Mobility
Our feet, especially our toes, are very important, considering we can’t stand, run or walk without them. Unfortunately, our lower limbs tend to be neglected until something goes wrong.
Maintaining strong and flexible toes is critical since they are the base for all stable movements.They allow us to perform essential and daily tasks without pain or strain.
With over 16 years of specialized mobilization and functional movement experience, Dr. John Quinn of Moriarty Physical Therapy offers the best solutions and techniques to keep your toes strong. Dr. Quinn emphasizes the importance of the mobility of your joints and tissue when running and how to avoid injury while striving for maximum performance.
Our great toe has tremendous mobility because it is the toe that is most involved in the push off when running. Making sure your ‘great toe’ has full mobility and range of motion is essential to healthy running.
If your great toe does not have full mobility or feels stiff and uncomfortable, follow these mobility techniques:
1. Using your hands, stabilize the area right below the big bump of your great toe (this area is the end of the joint of your toe).
2. Once your hand is wrapped around that area, grab your great toe with your other hand and apply pressure
3. With both your hands on the joint area and the toe itself, begin movements that consist of stretching up towards the sky and down towards the floor.
4. As you apply pressure you can try to raise that toe, using the toe muscle up towards the shin.
These simple exercises will ensure a better running experience as well as healthier joints. See our video on Great Toe Mobility and subscribe for more videos on physical therapy tips!
Moriarty Physical Therapy is a premier PT center in the Hudson Valley with offices in Lagrange and Poughkeepsie, NY. To find out more about physical therapy or to book your first appointment with a PT, contact Moriarty Physical Therapy at (845) 454-4137 or visit their website https://moriartypt.com/.
