According to the book, Morton's foot is not in itself painful; the trouble happens as a side effect of the changes to the weight-bearing pattern of the foot. The head of the second metatarsal takes over a lot of the load that should be divided between the first and fifth (making a nice triangle with the heel).
Personally, I don't see how length alone will do that, except during a portion of the gait when the heel is lifted. But I can see that running does have that position, and with a fair bit of "launching" force, too. And my problems may well stem from a combination of this and another factor: my fourth metatarsal sits very, very low in my foot. I could have the same problem they're describing, while standing motionless, but with my fourth rather than my second.
Apparently what happens is that the balance becomes more of a two-point than a three-point thing. The ankle does more work to remain upright. According to the book, many people with this type of foot walk and stand with their toes pointing outward to get back into balance; this works, but because of the unusual positioning it can cause ball-of-foot pain, knee pain, and weird imbalances that go all the way up to the neck.
(I'm synthesizing here: Also would mean unusual muscle use. The adductors would be helping to flex the hip joint (swing the leg forward), and abductors helping to extend it. Vice-versa at the knee joint. Don't know what any of that would cause. Maybe the knee pain? I also do not see how pointing the toes out gets a person back in balance, EXCEPT during that heel-up part of the gait, or (when standing) if the ankle falls inward. Perhaps all this is presumed to be happening. I don't know.)
Book says one in four people has Morton's foot. It describes a characteristic callus pattern: one under the head of the second metatarsal, one on the inside edge of the big toe, and a couple where a bunion and tailor's bunion would be. (Me, I have a bit of one under the fourth metatarsal and an ENORMOUS HONKIN' BLOCK of callus on the inside edge of the big toe. I take off chunks of that one with scissors periodically.)
Their suggestion, if you're having pain, is to cut a quarter- or half-dollar-sized support pad out of molefoam and stick it to your insole right under the head of the first metatarsal. Make sure it doesn't extend under the second. I'll give this a shot. Book says "you'll be amazed at the difference, your toes will point forward, bla bla." Plus of course all the trigger point therapy for the specific pain -- I'm still working on all that stuff. :)
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Oh wow -- here, I'll take notes.
Personally, I don't see how length alone will do that, except during a portion of the gait when the heel is lifted. But I can see that running does have that position, and with a fair bit of "launching" force, too. And my problems may well stem from a combination of this and another factor: my fourth metatarsal sits very, very low in my foot. I could have the same problem they're describing, while standing motionless, but with my fourth rather than my second.
Apparently what happens is that the balance becomes more of a two-point than a three-point thing. The ankle does more work to remain upright. According to the book, many people with this type of foot walk and stand with their toes pointing outward to get back into balance; this works, but because of the unusual positioning it can cause ball-of-foot pain, knee pain, and weird imbalances that go all the way up to the neck.
(I'm synthesizing here: Also would mean unusual muscle use. The adductors would be helping to flex the hip joint (swing the leg forward), and abductors helping to extend it. Vice-versa at the knee joint. Don't know what any of that would cause. Maybe the knee pain? I also do not see how pointing the toes out gets a person back in balance, EXCEPT during that heel-up part of the gait, or (when standing) if the ankle falls inward. Perhaps all this is presumed to be happening. I don't know.)
Book says one in four people has Morton's foot. It describes a characteristic callus pattern: one under the head of the second metatarsal, one on the inside edge of the big toe, and a couple where a bunion and tailor's bunion would be. (Me, I have a bit of one under the fourth metatarsal and an ENORMOUS HONKIN' BLOCK of callus on the inside edge of the big toe. I take off chunks of that one with scissors periodically.)
Their suggestion, if you're having pain, is to cut a quarter- or half-dollar-sized support pad out of molefoam and stick it to your insole right under the head of the first metatarsal. Make sure it doesn't extend under the second. I'll give this a shot. Book says "you'll be amazed at the difference, your toes will point forward, bla bla." Plus of course all the trigger point therapy for the specific pain -- I'm still working on all that stuff. :)