Morton's Toe - Musculoskeletal Dysfunction

Musculoskeletal Dysfunction

Janet G. Travell, MD, coauthor of The Trigger Point Manual, concluded that Morton’s toe was "a major perpetrator of musculoskeletal dysfunction and pain." While the prevalence of Morton’s toe is less than 20% in the general population, among people suffering from musculoskeletal pain and seeking medical help, it is thought to be well over 80%. The reason Morton’s toe is often a precursor to musculoskeletal pain is its association with excessive pronation of the foot. When weight bearing, the longitudinal arch of the foot drops, and the ankle rolls inward.

This excessive pronation causes two major postural and functional problems:

1. The leg is functionally shortened or lengthened.
2. The leg is rotated internally.

A functionally shortened toe behaves just like a structural short leg, unbalancing the pelvis by dropping one hip lower. This can cause various degrees of scoliosis (improper lateral curves of the spine). The internally rotated leg causes a forward rotation of the pelvis, typically more on the side where the foot hyperpronates the most. The forward rotation of the hips causes changes in the kyphotic (anterior/posterior) curves of the spine and in general causes a forward-leaning, head-forward posture. The compromised posture combined with the torques created by internal leg rotation is often the cause of both joint and muscle pain ranging from knee and hip pain to low and general back pain and shoulder and neck pain. It is also believed by some to be associated with headaches and TMJ dysfunction, although this is not universally accepted.

Restoring the Morton’s toe to normal function with proprioceptive orthotics can help alleviate numerous problems of the feet such as metatarsalgia, hammer toes, bunions, Morton's neuroma, plantar fasciitis, and general fatigue of the feet.