A new client came to us recently after being on vacation in Honolulu, Oahu, HI. He indicated that while surfing at Waikiki Beach, he noticed that his toes sort of numbed, cramped (without pain), and locked up after each ride of a wave. Of course, it impacted his performance and caused him to fall because he felt disconnected with the surface of the board. Embarrassed, he ended up cutting each session shorter than he normally would have. This persisted through most of his trip, but only when he did the one activity (surfing) that engaged his toes directly. It didn’t occur when jogging or walking around, et cetera. It’s what caused him to come to our physiotherapy clinic after his return home to the Burnaby BC area.
Due to the direct engagement of the phalanges or digiti pedis (toes, essentially) athletes and active people who tend to experience the same sensation include the following:
- Ballet dancers
- Basketball players
- Gymnasts
- Skateboarders
- Soccer players
- Track athletes (namely sprinters and jumpers)
As someone who has found this article after performing an online search for “my toes cramp and lock up” you have been experiencing the same sensation (lately) and want to know why and what you can do about it. As per usual, we are removing underlying medical conditions from the equation to instead focus on musculoskeletal issues, which are generally the culprit. And that (the latter) is good news because physiotherapy intervention will absolutely help. Please keep reading.
Why Your Toes Cramp and Lock Up Lately and What You Can Do About It
What Causes Your Toes to Lock Up?
The common causes include the following:
- Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
- Overuse and fatigue.
- Underuse, for those who experience the sensation in their return to an activity after taking significant time-off from it.
- Tight or weak toe muscles (flexor hallucis brevis, adductor hallucis, and flexor digiti minimi brevis).
- Joint issues such as arthritis and hammertoes, although you will experience the other effects (pain and misalignment).
- Nerve damage in the feet.
- Dystonia, which is a movement disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions, and can lead to toes locking up.
- Injury/trauma to the foot or toes causing joint damage that lead to stiffness or locking.
- Ill-fitting footwear, which can put extra pressure on the toes and cause them to cramp and lock up when not wearing them.
How Do I Stop My Toes from Cramping Up?
In each and every case above, aside from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance (which you can directly address via dietary adjustments, physiotherapy intervention will help. Services such as manual therapy, trigger point therapy (focusing on the feet), and even acupuncture will have a direct and immediate impact on the pesky sensation that you’ve been experiencing. A full-service clinic will also provide a gait assessment and will determine if you need footwear inserts – custom orthotics – which can also have a quick and positive impact on the function of your feet.
Let’s get you back on your toes by scheduling an assessment at our Burnaby BC clinic today!
Free Your Feet and Feel Great!
(Burnaby and Vancouver residents)