Are the toes of your feet or some of them are curled up and it is difficult and painful to walk and even stand up then you might want to watch this video.
Curled toes are often times called hammer toes, mallet toes, or Claw toes. And there are several reasons why this might happen. It could be poor joint mechanics, bad fitting shoes, injury, or other diseases, such as arthritis, stroke, Multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. But nevertheless, we will be doing stretches and exercises to correct that if surgery is not an option for you.
First, we need to massage the calf and the sole. Yes, the main concern that we have is our curled up toes, but more often than not your calf muscles are also tight, which are also connected to the tendons of your toes. So we need to massage and get them relaxed we start from your calf going down to the soles of your feet. You can use your knuckles or, a sturdy water bottle. You can also use a massage gun which I’m going to link down below.
Second, we need to Stretch the calf and foot. Grab your foot and stretch it upwards. Start from your heel going to your toes.
Third, we need to do Toes stretching and mobilizing. Grab one till overtime and gently stretch it to a straighter position. You can use lotion or your favorite essential oils.
Fourth technique we need to do is spreading the toes with your fingers in between them. Do this gently a few times until your fingers go through in between your toes.
Now let’s do exercises. First exercise is Foot up. Just bring your foot up and down 10×3 set.
Next exercise is Toes up. Try to keep your foot flat on the floor first and then bring your toes up. Do your best to keep the soul of your foot flat on the floor.
Third exercise is Toes spreading. Bring your foot up and try to separate or spread your toes from each other. This requires coordination but with practice you should be able to do this. Do this 10 times.
Fourth exercise is knee over toes. We are still exercising the muscles involved in bringing your foot and toes up, but we are targeting the upper or the more proximal part of those structures. Stand up with 1 foot in front and one to the back and you are going to bend the knee of your front leg slowly to go past your toes.
Next, we will be talking about orthotic devices. To keep your toes, separated and spread out you can use toes spacers. You can get those online and I like the silicone ones. They will give your toes a sustained stretch while you are sleeping or watching TV.
Also, consider using a shoe insert specific for hammer toes or mallet toes. This will support the structures of your foot to be in a more stable position while you stand up and walk around.
And then lastly, use a Night splint. This will give you a sustained stretch while you sleep. This will stretch your calf, muscles and tendons and prevent your foot in pointing down, which goes hand-in-hand with curled up toes or hammer toes.
LINKS:
Massage Gun: amzn.to/3JCsFag
Therapy Wedge: amzn.to/40f17Pq
Toe Spacers: amzn.to/3JKCQK3
Night Brace/ Splint: amzn.to/3lHsanj
Shoe Insert: amzn.to/3K5LXq2
Tight or spastic foot stretches: • Spastic Foot Exercises...
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Disclaimer:
This video should not replace the necessity of visiting your doctor or getting your occupational therapy session done. Please consult your primary care physician before doing any of this. The video is for educational purposes only.
By performing any fitness exercises, you are performing them at your own risk. Skills and wellness will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of our fitness program.
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Affiliate Disclaimer: the links for the products will lead you to an online store which I may or may not earn a little amount when you order. This will greatly help in continuing to make Occupational Therapy videos.
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