Lack of foot stability, weak big toe and arches, what to do?

bumpy bump

Have you thought about running The Cup?

what's that?

orthotics

same issue. doing a lot of balance-disc exercises (preferably in no shoes, it's harder). is your left foot flatter by any chance than your right? and are most of your injuries on your left side? just wondering. you may want to get checked out for a leg-length descrepency, really easy to do, really easy to fix (toss in a heel lift) if that's the case (could even be a fairly small descrepency) then more stress is placed on the longer leg.

I've got a similar issue. Left foot is flatter, 2nd metatarsal is longer, and foot is generally less stable than on the right. Sometimes the base of my big toe doesn't even touch the ground when I'm standing with my ankles and achilles straight. Seems like most of the weight is supported by the outside portion of the foot.

I've got orthotics and have had knee problems and numerous ankle sprains in the past on that leg. Also have got tight hips and weak hamstrings, and not a very good pullback/pawing active cycle of the gait.

Not exactly sure how to fix it.... I'm still looking for a way. Meanwhile, I'm dealing with each of the other issues separately.

I'm kinda interested in this as well. Any more input?

ive got the same problem. any luck fixing it yet?

Morton's foot just isn't a longer 2nd toe. It can be a longer 2nd metatarsal.

http://www.triggerpointbook.com/mortons.htm

the longer leg would then probably have less of a heel strike, heel wear than the shorter? I was diagnosed with a longer left leg (where all the injuries are) and my left shoe wear is always almost non-existent on the heel most of it is on the left forefoot outside but it does seem like just the opposite would be true you would have more heel wear on the left heel (longer side) because that is always going to take more impact??

Instead of getting a lift I went to mortonsfoot.com and got the Posture Control Insoles (3.5mm) I only use them at work and shopping, yardwork,etc. (not running)and they seem to have provided some relief and increased mobility to the longer leg. This combined with lower heel cushion shoes and 25 minute stretching sessions seems to provide a healing path. Would like to hear some more insights!

I have had this problem for years and it has letd to a host of other problems (hip and back). It is mostly my left foot. Because the big toe and metatarsal do not touch the ground. The foot pronates over to that toe and the foot then everts out. My knee and femur however rotate in. My hips and back are thrown all off balance. I used the Posture Control Insoles a couple of years ago. They worked for awhile, but then did not, probably because the rest of my body is so out of balance. I think I am going to experiment with added Spenco Moleskin, as in the above article, in my shoes under the toe a metatarsal. I think I need more than the insoles provided and the insoles burned up my feet.

Here is an interesting thread on the same thing (female bikers and runners) that I found last week:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=34260

On page three one person lists some corrections (not accomodations-like insoles) that you can do:

"Dropped Met Head Program

To be done over the course of 6 weeks, and maintained there-after.

Consists of two parts: first stretching, then strengthening. Done in that order for every session.

Stretch by folding your foot like a taco shell. Hold your bare foot in both hands. One hand on the left, one hand on the right. Thumbs parallel on top. Line up your fingertips between the 1st and 2nd met heads or on the 2nd met head, whichever feels better. Press down with the heels of your thumbs while you press up with your fingertips. You are essentially folding your foot in half lengthwise. (restoring your metatarsal arch and then some) Hold for 5 seconds. Do 10 times in a row.

Strengthen by working the muscles of the forefoot that support your metatarsal arch. Make a fist with your toes as tight as you can. Hold it for 5 seconds. Splay your toes out as wide as you can. Hold it for 5 seconds. Do 10 times in a row.

Week 1: do the session 3 times a day, spread through-out the day. (morning, noon, and evening for example)

Weeks 2-6: do the session 6 times a day, spread throughout the day. (every 2 or 3 hours, for example)

Maintain by doing however many sessions you feel you need to keep your met arch lively."

Sounds kinda like me. In Runners Times this month they have an artcle on hip strengthening. I've only looked over it briefly, but one test was to do a single leg squat. If your foot pronates while lowering your body it can be a sign of weak hips.

I've been doing squats lately trying to gain strength from the hips down. I just feel like my feet are hosed though. I'm struggling to recover from a stress fracture and getting frustrated.

Run more in flats and barefoot.

Red Glare wrote:

Run more in flats and barefoot.

I have a nearly identical problem as the OP, but no diagnosis of leg length discrepency or longer 2d met. I tried running on flats and bare foot to try to address the problem. I have not been able to run for the past few weeks with a stress reaction in my foot as a result.

A pronating foot will usually not fix itself. It will just learn to compensate. My compensation put too much stress on the 2d met. A new pair of orthotics is helping me. A prior pair had worn out (softer plastic).

I have also noticed that my right hip is lower than my left, even though I have no leg length issue. I think I tend to engage glutes and hams better with my right leg as a result (have had left hamstring problems too). I have been trying lots of different exercises to strengthen hips, glutes and hams. But the problem seems to be more of an issue of coordination, i.e. getting the muscles to engage in the proper sequence.

Anyone else notice this? Done anything to fix this?

Very tiny bench press for the toe?

This guy has a book on Morton's Foot.

http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/

I have ordered it from Amazon, but here is the "cheap remedy" from the book on how to deal with Morton's Foot.

http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?article_id=49341

I haven't tried it yet, but I will.

BTW it is the same basic thing posted above from the Trigger Point book. It makes sense for my foot. I guess it will take some experimenting. It looks like Dr. Morton, for whom Morton's Foot was named originated and patented this remedy back in 1927.

I am also dealing with this. My left toe seems weaker, and I thought my left foot was smaller but it now seems bigger than my right and the are seems weak. I push off mostly with my smaller toes on my left foot and with my big toe on my right.

I am actually going to a new podiatrist this afternoon to ask more about this. I am still dealing with this and it is interesting seeing my posts from long ago. I no longer really run. A year after these posts I was diagnosed with a labral tear in that left hip. I would still like to find out if my hip issues caused my foot issues or if my foot issues caused my hip problem. I do have femoral anteversion on that left side.