What do toes do

Actually, I can't aswer the question "why" in this context -- however, I can possibly shed some light on the related question: "Of what use are toes?

Even without this proviso,much of the support of the body during walking is in the toes, about 75 percent on the two largest toes and the ball of the foot. If you don't believe this, try walking with your toes raised as high as possible Further, toes on the end of the foot add considerable length to the power stride of a runner or running man. Men are not fast runners -- however, they can run for very long periods of time -- only dogs have a comparable range. There are still several tribes of men which hunt fleet antelope by simply running them to exhaustion.

In a distance stride, most of the impact is on the ball of the foot -- but the toes provide a longer stride for the long muscles in the legs. A second use of toes is balance-- we are specially adapted to walking on two legs and toes provide a way to maintain balance on very uneven terrain. If you have ever ice skated -- especially figure skated, you will have suffered from toe cramps - caused by the toes trying to right a tilted skate with insufficient purchase.

However, in a good figure skater, the toe muscles are so developed, they can skate well and do many tricks with the laces very loose-- just on the balance provided by their toes. The big toe plays a critical role in both shock absorption and propulsion.

When you walk or run, the big toe plays an essential role in arch stabilization during mid-stance , and during the take-off phase of the Normal Gait Cycle. Without this stabilization, the foot would have limited, to no, shock absorption capability, and very limited propulsive force.

In order for this stabilization to occur effectively, the big toe must be properly aligned with its surrounding and supporting structures both joints and soft tissue. This requires both good joint mobility as well as a balanced synchronization of action with the structures that attach to the big toe muscles. Without this, key muscles such as the flexor hallucis longus and flexor hallucis brevis muscles would not be able to stabilize the foot.

Abnormal foot pronation, a common condition faced by many people, is a great example of this problem. So why does increased pronation abnormal pronation affect big toe function? Along the underside of the big toe are two sesamoid bones. These are floating bones that are embedded into the tendons that surround the big toe. These sesamoid bones slide around with each change in position of the big toe.

When the big toe is in its ideal position, these sesamoid bones slide into two grooves within the first metatarsal , giving them the ideal position for providing foot stability. When the big toe is misaligned as in cases of prolonged abnormal pronation , these sesamoid bones slide towards the inside of the big toe, a position where the attaching muscles flexor hallucis cannot provide the required stability.

Besides working on the joint inself, it is important to work on the mobility of the soft tissue structures that attach to the big toe. So the natural list of toe functions are three in number:. So are there any purposes you would intend for your toes to do? So the list of toe functions is now expanded to three natural functions and two intended functions:.

Your toes are directly connected to the arch through specialized structures that contributes to the overall stability of your whole foot. Also your toes can deliver a quick and powerful push to the floor if your body is leaning forward too much, thus forcing your body backwards to regain balance. Your toes increase your weight bearing area during walking, running, etc. Your toes can also exert similar pressures on the floor as your metatarsals balls of the feet do.

A leading study1 concludes that every effort should be taken to preserve the weight bearing function of toes. Get smart.

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