A Biomechanical Insight into Plantar Fasciitis and Metatarsalgia
The human body is designed to move forward, with each step the body must find a way of continuing to progress. Within the foot there are many motions that occur within this forward motion and the study and treatment of pain caused by these movements is called biomechanics. Today we will look at one of the most important joints in the foot, and probably the body, the big toe.
The big toe is important in a few ways, today we will focus on the importance of the big toe on pain underneath the ball of the foot, particularly the outside of the foot, and on the impact the big toe has on heel pain most commonly caused by plantar fasciitis.
First of all, the big toe joint is important when looking at pain on the ball of the foot. The big toe is a relatively big joint, much bigger than the smaller toes, and therefore is able to tolerate weight or pressure during walking much more effectively. If the big toe isn’t working for any reason, your body weight may transfer to the outside of the foot just before you go onto your toes during walking. When your body weight transfers to the outside of the foot at this point it places pressure that is often too much for your smaller toes to handle. This often leads to inflammation and degeneration of the area.
With heel pain, or more particularly with plantar fasciial pain, the big toe is important because the main band of the plantar fasciia connects the heel to the big toe. When the big toe is raised up, the plantar fasciia tightens and your arch raises. You can try this at home, by pulling your big toe towards your shin, you should see your arch form. If the big toe joint is not working, it often takes more force for the plantar fasciia to tighten and heel pain can result.
To determine whether your big toe is working book online!
