Why Big Toe Extension is so Important for Running

Our feet are the base of our support system when we walk, run, jump, or just simply stand. Yet, time and time again it seems that we neglect them whether this be by wearing shoes that compress our toes or we just ignore tiny little aches and pains until it becomes unbearable. This then impacts the rest of the chain; the knees, the hips even the lower back which can start moving differently and cause us other problems.

Today, I want to zoom in on a really important part of the foot that is often overlooked which is the big toe, more specifically big toe extension. Let’s dive in!

Diving into some anatomy 

First, let’s begin with the anatomy of it all, which will help us have a better understanding of how the big toe moves and why it serves us.

The big toe, also called Hallux, is composed of three main bones. There is the 1st Metatarsal, the 1st medial phalange, and the 1st distal phalange. Have a look at the image (Figure 1) I have added below which highlights all these structures. These are all connected and help our big toe move in different directions.

Figure 1 - Image of the ankle and foot bones. The red circle zooms in on the bones of the 1st toe (Hallux).

The joint that is of interest for today is the 1st Metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. In other words, this is the connection between the 1st Metatarsal and the 1st Proximal Phalange. This is the joint that will often get stiff and where people will experience pain. The 1st MTP joint is also where we find conditions such as Hallux Valgus (Bunions), Hallux Rigidus (stiffness in the big toe) as well as sprains like ‘‘turf toe” (think of soccer or football players).

The movements at the 1st MTP joint are flexion (bending toe towards the ground), extension (extending toe towards the ceiling) as well as a small amount of range of motion in adduction and abduction (side to side).

For today’s purpose, we are talking about the extension motion at the 1st MTP joint, since this is often the direction in which the movement gets limited at this joint and can affect running. This restriction in movement can happen even if we haven’t suffered from a specific injury. The normal range of motion in extension of the 1st MTP is about 70 degrees but can vary from 60-100 degrees depending on the individual. As a general rule, 70 degrees is what would be considered a good range of motion to run efficiently.

 Self-assessing your range of motion

The first action we want to take is to figure out if we are lacking range of motion in our big toe extension. We can assess the active range (done by muscle action) and the passive range (done without activating muscles).

Step 1: Looking at our active range of motion

Simply place your foot on the ground, press through the base of your big toe, and see how far you can lift the big toe toward the ceiling. Take note of the range and how it feels. Then, compare it to the other side.

Here are some photos of my feet below as I do an active extension movement of the big 1st big toe. You can see that my left side (your right side when looking at the photo) is more limited than my right side.

Figure 2- Active Range of Motion for Big Toe Extension

Step 2: Looking at our passive range of motion

Once again, place your foot on the ground. You can take one hand to stabilize the base of the metatarsal (where there is kind of a mini bump) and the other hand lifts the proximal phalange (middle part of the toe). Take note of the range of motion and how it feels when you reach the end of the movement (pain or stiffness). Then compare to the other side.

Left

Right

Figure 3 - Passive Range of Motion for Big Toe Extension

We can see that the left toe doesn’t go into as much extension. The right 1st MTP has about 50-60 degrees, but the left one only has 30 and feels stiff at the end range.

 The next steps

Alright, so we have done our assessment and maybe we found a difference between left and right or we found some pain and/or stiffness. So what do we do now? And why is it so important to have this big toe extension? Bare with me, we are almost there!

The plantar fascia is that thick band of connective tissue under our foot that ensures stability and absorbs chocs in our foot. It originates from the heel, runs under the foot, and separates into 5 bands that are inserted on the base of each phalange (see Figure 4 below).

Figure 4 - Plantar Fascia

Runs from the heel to the base of the first phalange of each toe

Now, try to imagine there is a string going from your heel to your big toe. When we extend the big toe while our heel is on the ground (this happens during the heel strike phase when running), the plantar fascia’s role is to absorb chocs or load.

Then, when we push off with passive extension of the big toe (push-off or propulsion phase of running) the plantar fascia stabilizes the foot.

This is called the Windlass mechanism which is essentially how well the plantar fascia can stabilize and support the foot during weight-bearing activities such as walking, running, jumping, etc. Check out the pictures below to get an idea of how this mechanism works depending on foot positioning.

Resting position of plantar fascia illustrated with blue band.

Active big toe extension increases tension in the plantar fascia to better absorb chocs during heel strike.

Passive big toe extension increases tension even more in the plantar fascia and lifts the arch to stabilize the foot during push-off.

Figure 5 - Imaging of the Windlass mechanism depending on the different foot positions. The blue band represents the plantar fascia.

How well this mechanism does its job in supporting our foot is directly linked with the available range in extension at the 1st MTP joint. We can get more range in passive big toe extension than active, so our foot is the most stable when we are in that push-off phase of the movement. How awesome is that?  

This is why big toe extension is important and should not be neglected. By having good mobility in extension through that big toe, you are ensuring that the mechanism that supports your foot is working at an optimal level.

Hopefully, this article helped you understand why big toe extension is important and how to assess if your mobility is lacking. Stay tuned for more tips on how to increase your big toe extension and maximize your running performance.

 Happy running,

 April :)