08/02/2024
The big toe often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It’s ability to move (mobility) plays a crucial role in performance and injury prevention. When I was 17 I suffered bilateral partial Achilles tendon tears. Suffered being the key word. An orthopedic surgeon for the US Ski Team gave me cortisone injections which is rarely done in the Achilles I’ll never forget him saying most Drs wouldn’t do this, I could ruin your chances of running again. There were no consequences, but it didn’t get me out of pain. Fast forward several months and my Mom took me to a “wacky” pediatrist who solved her coworkers back pain. She evaluated me and immediately said, “your big toe is ______ *insert word you don’t say anymore.” She gave me exercises and shoe recommendations that fixed me. It was a long process, I wore dorky sneakers, clogs and weird flesh tone socks. Let me tell you, that is not the way you want to look your first semester of college, but it all saved me and I was able to be a successful collegiate athlete.
Not only that, Dr. Pediatrist taught me the science of why your big toe is important, which I have used with clients my entire career. Dysfunction in the big toe has a cascading effect on the entire kinetic chain that can affect joints and muscles up to your skull. For many years that made me a “wacky” trainer with unorthodox ideas that made many dismiss me. Now big toe mobility has gained more mainstream recognition and with that comes quacks, products & gimmicks. You don’t need that, you need someone to train you based off your foot patterns. Come in for personal or small group training and we’ll teach you.