I was a passionate runner who loved to blow off any steam that had accumulated during a stressful day at work. I felt young, free, and very energetic during and after training. Running meant moving from A to B and enjoying the journey. It was the time when I felt my body most, which I had almost forgotten during an intellectual working day.
I was so happy with running that I didn’t really notice an emerging pain in my left Achilles tendon. I ignored it for several months until it got much worse. Suddenly, I noticed the same pain on my right side as well. I started walking like a duck, which was no fun at all. So, I stopped running as doctors and physiotherapists warned me against fast stop-and-go movements. Suddenly I felt old.
I tried all kinds of therapies. Some of them made the pain worse. My tendons wanted to rest. They forced my whole body to slow down and stop moving. I was in pain after every yoga class. That’s when I realised that extreme stretches or one-legged positions were not good for me. Was that the end? At the age of 40? No more movement without pain?
Fortunately, that was not the case. I discovered a new healing modality and my body was happy again. It was no longer generating additional pain. This was an amazing benefit.
Also, on October 16th, 2020, I received an email from a Bowspring teacher who told me that the Achilles tendon is directly connected to the big toe and that I should ground it and then spread the pressure evenly to the mound of the pinky. And so, I followed her advice.
At first, I mainly observed what I did with my toes during the exercise, but also in ‘real life’. To my own surprise, I was unknowingly lifting my big toes, and way too strongly. Would this be the solution? Something as simple as keeping my big toes down?
Most of the time, that was the trick for me. It was simple, but not so easy to do. The moment I was no longer aware of it, I started lifting my big toes again. Sometimes this was necessary because I had to hold the shoes I was wearing with my toes. That was the next big revelation: shoes are often not made for comfort or health.
I had never given much thought to my toes before. I have always liked my feet because my toes are long and elegant. They don’t need the jail of a high heel to look sexy. They are beautiful in their own right.
If you look at an insurance company’s compensation table, the standard disability rating for loss or total inability to function of a big toe is 5%. For me, my big toes are of much greater value. My whole body depends on them for pain-free movement. When I think about my big toes, I can even hop now without pain. So, the day I discovered the importance of my big toes is a day for me to celebrate.
Even though I don’t know her personally, I am forever grateful to her because my health and happiness have improved since that day. So, every 16th of October, I will celebrate and share my excitement with those who also suffer from this Achilles tendon pain syndrome. Let’s take a bow and sing together: ‘Happy Big Toe Day to you!’
© Barbara Neubauer 2021-09-03