Toe Spacers and Kinetic Chain Release

I had been having severe hamstring pain in my right leg for months.  I could be sitting or standing and at any time, my leg muscles would seize up like a winch.

In July I saw a new massage therapist.  While working my feet, she noticed that the toes on my right foot felt stiff.  She suggested that I buy some yoga toes which are like the toe spacers used to keep toes separated while toenails are being painted but more sturdy than flimsy foam.  They are designed to hold toes apart which creates a stretch between the metatarsal bones of the feet.

I bought a pair of toe spacers from Amazon.  The first time I used them, I couldn’t get the last nodule to fit between my fourth and fifth toes, because it hurt so badly, but eventually I got it in there.  My toes were very sore during the first two rounds.  Therefore, like other novelties, I procrastinated, forgot about them and stopped the experiment.  My leg pain continued.

I saw a different massage therapist in October.  She also noticed something about my right foot.  She became obsessed with my pinky toe and wanted me to exercise it against her resistance.  I put up with this for ten minutes before she finally moved on.  I wasn't impressed, but I went home thinking that couldn’t be a coincidence.  I remembered the toe spacers and resumed their usage with more frequency.

The first therapist didn’t connect this to my hamstring pain.  The second therapist said nothing about toe spacers.  Being the third therapist in this story, I put it together and viola.  Within a month or two my hamstring pain was gone. *

When I asked AI why toe spacers would cure hamstring pain, it laughed at me.  That was just too outrageous.  However, it did provide a list of possible reasons why their use could positively impact my legs in general:

• Reduces neural tension Improves gait and kinematics Relieves calf tension Enhances circulation
  

All of the included explanations (omitted from this article) were fascinating to read, but the one that felt especially pertinent to me was the calf tension, and it matched what I had been thinking with my therapist brain.  My pain was coming from the line of fascia that ran up from my foot to my hamstrings.  The toes spacers were releasing fascial tension between my metatarsal bones which was then sending release up the kinetic chain, likely freeing my knee, and therefore ending the hamstring disturbance.  In other words, I believe my knee was being turned, and my foot and hamstrings were playing tug-of-war on either end of it.

I have suggested toe spacers to several of my clients.  Here are two success stories:

Richard’s Report ~

Both feet injured in an accident; one foot’s heel was crushed, the other developed limited ankle mobility and a nerve impairment causing drop-foot syndrome and notable weakness in the big toe.

After using toe spacers consistently:

Improved toe spread (proper positioning of toes while standing and walking – called splay) which has led to notable improvement in stability while walking.  Gait (walking pattern) has improved which is noteworthy because client was previously walking with a more pronounced limp.

Rachael's Report ~

Points on the bottom of feet were not contacting the floor when barefoot; unintentionally walking on the balls of feet.  Gait was improper at times and toes were not providing enough stability while walking.  Other muscles (particularly in ankles) had to compensate for the impaired toe support as evidenced by several ankle sprains in youth and modern-day strain.

After using toe spacers consistently:

Improved foot contact with the floor (heel is now touching down).  Gait is improved and toes are providing better stability while walking.  Notable: client has Morton’s Toe (second toe is longer in length than big toe) which is known to compromise proper toe push-off (primary action of toes).

Toe spacers cannot cure every pain, but soft-tissue treatment is highly effective for musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.  The issue here is how the body can make changes when change is introduced especially regularly.  Qualified massage therapists can intuit compromised body mechanics that are causing other muscles to compensate.  Oftentimes, one area of the body cannot release until another that is problematic releases first; such as the case with my hamstrings.

When describing your issue to your massage therapist, try to include detail about how the problem started, what changed along the way, and what treatments worked or failed.  You may offer an unintended clue that could lead to a solution less likely to appear with providers who do not directly treat soft tissue pain and dysfunction.  For more information on causal relationships within the body, please see my blog article “Low Back Pain and Pelvic Balance Massage Therapy.”

*This is an anecdotal report of my experience with toe spacers relieving long-standing hamstring pain and testimonies of two clients who also tried them.  These reports do not guarantee the same results for everyone.  These statements have not been reviewed by the FDA and should not be taken as medical advice or be substituted for medical care from a physician or podiatrist.