Morton's Foot?

[OakLeaf]

Do the custom orthotics help? I'm getting some next week.

As I said in the other thread (or maybe at the top of this one ), they relieved the arch pain and some of the knee pain, but caused all manner of other issues.

I'm transitioning gradually to padding the first metatarsal heads. In the meantime I'm still using the orthotics intermittently. I can't wait to be rid of them! If I didn't have this half-marathon coming up before I've made the full transition, I wouldn't even be using the orthotics at all. I just don't think it's a good idea to do a long race in the pads before my muscles and tendons have had a chance to adjust completely.

If I can then transition to unsupported barefoot, I would really love to do that.

[Bike Chick]

Thanks for the help and good luck on your half!

[zia]

Zia and Oakleaf, do you ride with clipless pedals and has it been much of a problem on the bike?

I do ride with clipless pedals. I have always struggled with the strange sensation that I'm not transmitting enough power through my feet, and that my cleats were in different positions on each of my shoes. (My MF is significantly more pronounced on the left, where my third metatarsal is also longer than the first.) I've actually taken my shoes off to make sure the cleats were in the same spot!

When I was recently professionally fitted, the fitter had me mark on my shoes where the ball of my foot (aka first metatarsal) was and placed the cleats directly beneath that. They actually had been further forward, and moving them back has felt very strange, and not in a good way -- again, I just feel like I'm not transmitting much power through my feet, if that makes sense. Of course this is so -- all my energy is going through my second metatarsal, not my first! Sooo... I'm going to try padding up my bike shoes (perhaps a little thicker than my running shoes) and see if it makes a difference. Maybe it will make me more balanced. And faster.

OakLeaf, you sound like me at yoga. I am constantly wobbling and crashing. I'd always thought I was just uncoordinated... now, maybe not!

[zia]

. Do the custom orthontics help? I'm getting some next week.

I developed a stress fracture in my second metatarsal in ~1992. I am now on my third pair of custom orthotics since that time. As I mentioned before, not! one! podiatrist/sports medicine doc/physical therapist ever paid any attention to my feet beyond the arch/ankle area. NONE of those orthotics had any type of forefoot padding. And I have experienced knee pain on pretty much every single run since 1990 (I am good at ignoring it, and it never lasts long) -- until I self-diagnosed Morton's Foot last weekend and added my own little pads. No knee pain!

My arches are horribly flat, and I think the orthotics were good for them at a certain time and place, especially when my knees were at their worst. My mentor has a pair of customs and she successfully off of them (after 10+ years) about a year ago and I would like to do the same!

Now off to go hook my bike up to the trainer and play around with padding in my bike shoes.

[Bike Chick]

I hear you Zia about wobbling and bobbling! The website's description of Morton's foot says it's like walking on an ice skate. I resemble that remark

[Bike Chick]

Good luck with the padding. Let us know if it helps on the trainer.

Ladies, this is good info to take to the dr next week. I'm going armed with information and questions. Thanks for your help.

[zia]

Took a spin to nowhere with enhanced shoes on the trainer.

Definitely noticed enhanced contact with pedal. Felt like my cleats were equally positioned. Whether that translates into anything meaningful remains to be seen. It's so hard to tell on the trainer...

[KnottedYet]

Let me reiterate: Morton's foot is NOT a "deformity."
(Knot tears hair out and goes to weep alone in the corner)

The pattern of pains and calluses described on various websites are not unique to Morton's foot. Every foot that pronates too much or that has sloppy muscles and a dropped 2nd met head is gonna be just like that. Greek Foot or Egyptian Foot, they will look and feel the same. Pronation and dropped met heads are POSTURAL problems, not STRUCTURAL problems. They happen to us all.

Now, I'm gonna lecture about accommodation vs correction.

Accommodation is allowing a problem to continue, but finding a way to cover for it. It's like if your brother is an alcoholic and keeps getting into trouble for weaving his way home from the bar singing loudly and cussing at the neighbors. So you start stocking your house with lots of booze so he does his drinking at home. No more singing and cussing, no more problem... right?

Correction is fixing the ultimate cause of the problem. You send your brother to AA. No more singing and cussing, no more problem... right?

The result is the same. The question is which fits into your lifestyle better?

The pad under the first met head is an accommodation.
Stretching the tightened structures of the forefoot and strengthening the muscles of the foot (and really all the way up to the hip) is a correction.

Both have their good points and their bad points.

[KnottedYet]

One of my readings -- which I of course can't find now -- indicated that the prevalence of Morton's Foot had increased dramatically over the past several hundred years. It used to just be 5% of the population, but now it's 25%.

I have a big issue with their statistics and sample populations. (never mind the impossibility of that kind of dramatic genetic change in so few generations!!!!)

If you look at the British Isles, the incidence of Morton's Foot has decreased dramatically over history; as the Celts were overwhelmed by the Anglo-Saxons. (from 100% to whatever it is today)

Morton's Foot is like blonde hair. The incidence of blonde hair has dramatically increased in the Americas in the past several hundred years. And not because people were spontaneously mutating!

[KnottedYet]

(Oakleaf, this is what you were asking for to bring the 1st met head into contact with the ground)

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.

Give your feet a happy environment by wearing shoes that suit your particular flavor of foot, and insoles that support your arches INCLUDING the metatarsal arch (buy self stick met arch supports if you have to).

If you also pronate, ask a PT or trainer to help you with your pronation. Pronation has so many causes and so many things to fiddle with up and down the kinetic chain that it is pretty hard to deal with on a message board. They might also want to post your insoles, which is fine, but keep the met arch supports and keep working on your foot strength. As your foot gets stronger and your leg control gets better you'll need less and less correction, and your PT or trainer will trim the posting down until you are neutral.

[KnottedYet]

BTW - Zia, you got some funky feet! 3rd longer than 1st! Ok, now we're talking structural funny business! (not a posture problem, eh?)

[OakLeaf]

Sweet. Thanks (((((Knot))))) you're the best!

[Bike Chick]

Thanks Knot

[OakLeaf]

The incidence of blonde hair has dramatically increased in the Americas in the past several hundred years. And not because people were spontaneously mutating!

Well I don't know about that... every time I visit southern California it seems like everyone else, regardless of race or sex, has spontaneously mutated into blondes. I'm afraid to stay too long in case it happens to me. It could be spreading to the rest of the country.

[zia]

BTW - Zia, you got some funky feet! 3rd longer than 1st! Ok, now we're talking structural funny business! (not a posture problem, eh?)

Oh, don't make me post pictures. I look like I'm missing a toe. They're pretty ugly to look at...

I'm just amazed we've managed to fill three pages of discussion about FOOT BONES!