Article - Toes

The final edited version is far from alike this unedited first draft due to unavoidable reasons, for better or for worse.


GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH TOES

Our toes are important to us. They help us balance, and to propel us forward during walking or running. There are 14 bones in your toes and they are among the smallest in your body.

Two bones, a phalange and a metatarsal, meet at the joint of your big toe. The phalange is the bone in your big toe and the metatarsal is the main bone in your foot that runs along the arch of your foot to your big toe. At the joint, the ends of the two bones are held together by tissue. This is called the joint capsule. It has a lining that makes fluid, which lubricates the toe joint and helps it move smoothly.

Each joint is wrapped with ligaments, tendons and muscles to keep the joint stable so the bones stay in place. The joint at the base of your big toe moves more than other joints in your foot and carries most of your weight as you push off your foot when you walk forward. Your big toe joint has two round tiny bones called sesamoid bones. They sit inside a tendon underneath the joint and they stop the tendon from getting squashed when you stand on your foot. They also help your toe to move up and down in a straight line.

Knowing toes problems

Our feet are under constant stress and about 80% of us will have some sort of problem with our feet at some time or another. Many things, such as occupation, health condition, and shoes, may affect the condition of the incredibly complex mechanism of our feet.

Corns

A corn is a form of callus, a protective layer of dead skin cells formed due to repeated friction. Corns usually develop on top or at the side of the toes and they can put pressure on a nerve causing sharp pain. Their formation is actually a protective reaction of the body, mainly to prevent the skin from getting painful blisters and subsequent possible infections. However, they are not serious conditions.

The best treatment is preventing friction on the skin. If a corn is the result of a poor-fitting shoe, changing to properly fitted shoes will usually eliminate the corn within a couple of weeks. Until then, protect with corn pads or use a pumice stone to gently wear down the corn.

Bunions

Hallux valgus, commonly known as bunion, occurs when your big toe points toward the second toe. This causes a bony bump on the edge of your foot, at the joint of your big toe.

Bunions are often caused by narrow-toed, high-heeled shoes that put enormous pressure on the front of the foot and compress the big toe pushing it toward the second toe. An extra bone and a fluid-filled sac grow at the base of the big toe leading to a swelling and painful condition. This caused a bony bump on the edge of your foot, at the joint of your big toe. Other causes include injury to the joint, flat feet, gout, arthritis, and activities such as ballet dancing, that place undue stress on the feet.

Bunions can be avoided by wearing wide, low-heeled shoes. More serious conditions will require an orthotic to help re-distribute weight and take pressure off the bunion.

Hammer toes

Hammer toe, usually affecting the second toe, is a deformity of the toe, in which the end of the toe is bent downward. The toe assumes a claw-like position. The condition may occur as a result of pressure from a bunion. A corn or callus may develop on the foot and makes walking painful.

The condition may be congenital or acquired by wearing short, narrow shoes. The rare case in which all toes are involved may indicate a problem with the nerves or spinal cord.

Properly-sized footwear usually provides comfort and can reduces aggravation of hammer toes. The protruding joint can be protected with corn pads. Exercises may be helpful in alleviating the problem. Severe hammer toe requires surgery, that involves cutting or transferring tendons or fusing the joints of the toe together, to straighten the joint.

Clawfoot

Claw foot is a deformity of the toes in which the toe joint nearest the foot is bent upward and the other toe joints bend downward. The abnormal shape of the toe can cause increased pressure and calluses or ulcers on the affected toes.

Claw toes can be congenital or can be develop as a consequence of disorders, often a result from a problem with the peripheral nerves in the leg, or from a spinal cord problem. Claw toes are in themselves not a serious condition but sometimes they are the first symptoms of a more serious disease of the nervous system. Claw toes can be treated surgically or with special shoes to relieve pressure.

Ingrown toenails

An ingrown toenail occurs when the edge of the nail grows into the skin of the toe. It can result from curved toenail, poor fitting shoes, improperly trimmed toenail, or toe injury. The skin around the toenail may become red and infected. It can occur on any toe but is most common on the big toe.

Ingrown toenail may be treated at home by soaking the toe in warm water and applying antibiotic ointments. Ingrown toenail may be avoided by trimming toenails properly, and wearing sandals or wide open-toed shoes.

Destressing Your Toes

As you can see, the anatomy of the foot is very complex. When one part becomes damaged, it can affect every other part of the foot and lead to problems.

So take care of your toes. Try the invigorating massage from the bubbles of a foot spa to relax and revitalise the feet. Use a pumice stone to exfoliate dead cells. Alternatively, soak your feet in an aromatherapy foot bath. For aching feet, try peppermint. Sit back and enjoy!

Love your toes because essentially they are a part of you.