Dr's Casebook: ​Toe yoga may help balance and prevent bunions

Dr Keith Souter writes: That very first article was about running or jogging as we called it back then. Happily, I am both still writing and running.

Indeed, a couple of months ago I wrote that I had just completed the Two Castles 10k. An effect from that run resulted in this article.

After the 10k run I noticed that I had developed subungual bruising of three toes on my right foot. That means I had bled under the nails.

At first, I thought it was a problem with my running shoes, which I admit were starting to show signs of wear having carried me over several half marathons and 10k runs, including two Wakefield Hospice 10k runs these last few years.

Rather than just getting new shoes I thought it would be a good idea to have an expert check out my running and perhaps advise on my next running shoes.

So, I booked a gait analysis with a sports scientist. He examined my posture, balance, my muscles, joints and feet. I was intrigued when he told me that just by looking at my feet he could tell how I would run and the sort of problems I either experience now, or may do in the future.

So, we went outside and he videoed me running slowly, mid-pace and then sprinting. We then studied the videos, slowing them down to examine every feature.

I was pleased when he said that for an old guy my running style and posture were reasonably good. Then he gave me the bad news by telling me my foot muscles were extremely weak.

The good news, however, is that I can strengthen those muscles quite quickly with what he described as toe yoga. Indeed, by strengthening my abductor hallucis longus muscle and work on my adductor hallucis muscle, two muscles that work against each other with toe yoga exercises, a bunion I am developing on my left foot should correct itself and I won’t get any more subungual bruises.

I’ve been working on this toe yoga for a few weeks now and I am pleased to say that I am seeing results, about which I’ll tell you in a later article.