A Little About Bunions and Hammertoes

I only realized that my legs were sore when I got on the elliptical this morning. Even though I was tired from a lack of sleep, I still managed reasonable mileage. My heart rate was elevated most of the time. Not a good thing. But it did dip a few times so I wasn't totally freaked out.

What I did notice was that my left foot bore my weight in even distribution but not my right foot, the foot with a bunion and hammertoes, the foot with two stitches and a new toenail. Instead, there is intense pressure on the ball of my right foot, under the displaced proximal phalanges (big toe) that stretches across the top of all five metatarsals. Eventually, my pinky toe starts to hurt because of the pressure. I can feel every bone in my foot by this point, but I keep pedaling. Yes, I'm stubborn, and the pain is merely annoying. It subsides when 35 minutes are done, my toes aren't numb and I continue with my workout.

After doing abs, I'm happy to find that the Smith is available so I can do RDLs and RG BB Rows. Then Seated Cable Rows, followed by RG BB Curls. I consider doing another 20 plus minutes of program 3 on the elliptical but change my mind when I see that one of the Step Mills is free. At least I'll be working different muscles. The gym is more crowded today and I see a lot of vaguely familiar faces who've only just returned after a long hiatus. New Year's resolutionists?

At home, I research bunions and runners because those are the most common athletes prone to foot issues. I've never had my bunion treated because I've known people who have submitted to the surgery where their toe bones are broken, realigned and held together with screws. Uh, no thanks! And like most modern Americans, I do most if not all my research on the internet. What I find are articles on the how and why of bunions and hammertoes, and a very informative piece on how footwear can cause this condition. Of course, narrow-toed shoes and high heels are at the top of the list, but less recognized are genetic predisposition and running shoes, especially traditional ones that are widest at the ball of the foot, then narrow at the toes with a rising heel. Shoes should be widest where the foot is widest, which is at the toe spread.

The Runner's World article contains links to sports podiatrist and natural footwear advocate, Dr. Ray McClanahan. In a series of short YouTube videos, he promotes his own brand of toe spacers (I have an alternate brand that I have only used sporadically), wide toe-box athletic shoes (think Earth Shoes and Crocs), and massage treatments that purport to realign the bones. It's then that I discover just how inflexible my afflicted foot is! While I can easily bend the toes back on my left foot (curling the toes toward the sole), the right foot struggles. It's evidence of the shortened tendons that have caused the toes to curl upward, aka hammertoes.

Protective bandage

My bruised toe is stiff and the stitches don't help with flexibility. I learn that the fat that pads the ball of the foot has most likely shifted with the bones and tendons which explains the painful pressure I feel when I pedal vigorously. I'm hopeful that using the massage techniques in the video will help alleviate this problem and prevent further degradation. Over the years with my exercise routine, my hammertoes have gotten worse but I'm not about to subject my foot to surgical intervention.

I feel vindicated when causes for bunions and hammertoes also list trauma and nerve damage. Because I only have these issues in the foot that had a Schwannoma (benign tumor of the nerve sheath) removed from my ankle, I feel confident that nerve damage is the root of the drifting big toe and subsequent shortening of the tendons of my other toes. My mother had bunions in both feet so there is a genetic susceptibility to my case. But my other foot remains perfectly normal in appearance and gait. Whenever I am chided about tight shoes and high heels I'm indignant. I've never worn such things and proffer my left foot as evidence. (Coincidentally, this is also the leg with the sciatic nerve sensitivity. This nerve runs from the lower back through the glutes where it branches into smaller lines down the calf and into the foot. Maybe my right side is just fucked.)

These stretching and massage techniques are worth trying if they'll reduce and/or relieve some of my foot issues! Hammertoes aren't just weird looking; they occasionally spasm painfully and chafe against the roof of my roomier shoes. Eventually, I'll have to deal with corns or blisters. I'm encouraged to try my sock toe spacer again, but just for 30 minutes at a time. I also own a gel spacer and I admit that my bunion always looks less prominent after I've worn it. But both of these items are uncomfortable because they're mostly One-Size-Fits-All and I have small feet and tiny toes. Also, I'm unable to put my foot into a normal slipper when I wear them.

I've embedded a useful video below. Now to find some warming foot gel.



Friday Pull

30 elliptical + 5cd
Program 2
Miles 2.93
Calories 330
HR 160-198 (84, 90)

Cage Stretch

Elbow Plank 60s
Horizontal Scissors 60
Crunches 60/60
Bicycles 60
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s

Smith RDL
Bar (30) x 15
80 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 12

Smith RG BB Rows
80 x 25 x 3

Seated Cable Rows
70 x 12
85 x 12
92.5 x 12
100 x 12

RG BB Curls
40 lbs x 25 reps x 3

20 Step Mill
Level 4
Calories 127
Total steps 832
Floors 52
HR 139

Mat Stretch