Look at my foot X-Ray

krazycp

Barefooters
Jun 10, 2014
2
0
1
44
I went to my podiatrist for pain in my big toe near the 2nd joint. She took an x-ray (see attached). Her diagnosis was I "tweaked" the joint. Not very helpful in my opinion. Anyway, I asked her about my big toe being crooked and that using something like Correct Toes I hope to fix it over time. She told me that was impossible, but I don't believe that.

Any doc thoughts on the shape of my big toe? It looks like both bones are bent.
 

Attachments

  • Corey X-Ray.png
    Corey X-Ray.png
    244.2 KB · Views: 37
The x ray looks fine. The diagnosis of tweaked gives me pause though because its meaningless. A couple of possibilities come to mind
1. Tendonosis due to tightness in the flexor hallicus would give you pain in that area. Typically the toe would be tight and resist extension, as compared with the opposite side.
2. Injury to sesmoid bones under the foot.
3. Problems in the ankle and lower kinetic chain due to fascial tightening. Usually, unless you are trained in myofascial release treatment and are a chiropractor, this may not make much sense, however, then the structures surrounding the ankle resist motion, the ankle mortise, talus and calcaneus cannot move properly and as a result, the joints in the from such as the metatarsals will be hypermobile and be painful.

You need to find a good certified sports chiropractor.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hobbit and Sid
Hi Corey -

Hopefully I may also be able to provide some assistance.

When you mention the "pain in your big toe at the 2nd joint" do you mean the joint that is at the end of the big toe? So that joint in the big toe that is near the nail?

You do have angulation in that joint which is called hallux interphalangeus

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1268773111001111

This is an angulation in the joint / cartilage at the level of the IPJ of the hallux. This could fall under a "toe sprain" which is why that Podiatrist would say that. That is just a general term for saying the joint capsule is inflamed.

What I could do is look at the way you are walking. It could be your push-off that is causing abduction of this IP joint towards the lateral side of your foot. Acute flare ups in this joint may require a quick steroid injection to calm it down or you could do a joint distraction / stretch to help alleviate some of the stiffness.

Toe stretches and correctors will not really help in this case - and neither will soft tissue / whole body connective tissue work - unless the goal is to change the way you are pushing off with each step. The distal joints of the foot are very hard to correct through exercise / manipulation. They are not like the MPJs of the foot.

I hope this helps!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sid