Everything that I write about in this article is based on the lifetime work of two important physicians. One who was President Kennedy’s White House doctor. I will write more about these doctors in another article; but for now please allow me to introduce you to the Morton’s Toe.
“Morton’s Toe” means having either one or both of two abnormal, inherited conditions of the first metatarsal bone of the foot.
1. The first abnormal condition, and the most noted one, that can cause Morton’s Toe is where your first metatarsal bone is shorter than the second
2. The second condition is when your first metatarsal bone is not as stable as it should be, and as a result, it has too much motion. Because of this excess motion, it can cause pains all over your body. This abnormal motion of the first metatarsal bone is known as “Hypermobility of the First Metatarsal Bone.”
Do You Have a Short First Metatarsal Bone?
Look down at your feet. Socks off please! If your second toe seems longer, (and I mean even just a hair longer) than your first toe, you may have a short first metatarsal bone.
Another way to check to see if you have a short first metatarsal bone is to hold your first and second toes down. Right behind the spot where the toes attach to the foot, you will see bumps pushing up from the top of your foot. These bumps are the heads of the first and second metatarsal bones. Using a pen, lipstick, or marker, draw a line where the bumps end (flat area) and meet the top of the foot. This spot is the very end of both of the heads of the first and second metatarsal bones. Look at both lines. If the line of the second metatarsal head is farther down your foot toward your toes than the first metatarsal head, even just a very little, then you probably have a short first bone.
Sometimes it is not necessary to draw a line on top of the foot because the length of the metatarsal heads easily can be seen. If this is the case, you can see without difficulty that the second metatarsal head is farther down the top of the foot than the first metatarsal head.
Frequently, people with short first metatarsal bones will also have a webbing between their second and third toes. They will have a flap of excess skin that sort of looks like a “bat wing” in between the second and third toes. If you do, have this webbing of the toes, it is a good tip off that you do have a short metatarsal bone and probably have a Morton’s Toe.
Do You Have Hypermobility of the First Metatarsal Bone? Unlike the short first metatarsal bone, there is no simple reliable way that you can determine on your own if you have hypermobility of the first metatarsal bone.
Why is it important to know, if you have a Morton’s Toe
I have been treating Morton’s Toe for over thirty years. Moreover, what I do know for sure is that it can be the missed reason for the following aches, and pains not only of the feet, but also of the whole body.
* back pain
* hip pain
* knee pain
* leg pain
* plantar fasciitis
* calf pain
* fibromyalgia
* arthritis
* corns and calluses
* bunions
* fallen arches
* ankle pain
* heel pain
* arch pain
* weak ankles
* hammer toes
* tired feet (all over)
* neuromas * burning feet
* shooting pains in the toes
* stress and march fractures
* night cramps (restless leg syndrome)
* temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ)
* diabetic foot ulcers
Millions of people suffer every day, with these torments and do not know why. I believe that in many cases Morton’s Toe is the explanation for this WHY, and the reason for aches and pains not only in their back, knee, and hip but also in a lot other places in their body. Look for more articles about the Morton’s Toe in the weeks to come