If a runner does have pain, what can they do to actually help with ... that they can actually
still run. You mentioned the taping technique – that sounds quite good. Is there anything
else they can do? So, you can go for the silicon wedges, which are readily available both online,
and you can get them in the sort of Dr. Scholl’s department of Tesco's or any of
the major supermarkets. Tesco's, say, all of them. And they all do the individual wedges. And again,
all we're trying to do is retain that position in the big toe, trying to get it back into a
straight line; it reduces the stress in the joint capsule. And also, you can sometimes
get a bunion that forms there, that area there, and you can get … Sorry, not bunion,
a bursa, which is a little fluid-filled sac which protects the protruding bone, and you can get a
silicon sleeve that stops some of the friction on that. And that, that works quite nicely as
well. Orthotics work quite nicely as well to reduce pain; an insole, a simple insole. So,
I use an insole for running for this particular reason. Very simple; you've just gotta first do a
cut-out to allow my big toe to drop into this gap here, and that encourages as much movement out of
the big toe as possible. It's got a little metal duct, metatarsal dome built into it, which pushes
up underneath the letter toes push up underneath there c1 plus to my toes yeah lovely and straight
straightens about okay And then I also use silicon toe props to lift them up a little bit as well,
to straighten them out as well as doing intrinsic exercises and which will come on to in a minute.
And then the final feature and this is it's got a little wedge under the heel towards that the
inside of the heel to turn my foot out a little bit I don't know helped with reducing the kind
of stretch on that joint capsule as well yeah. So, some really good sort of factors within an
insole. So, insoles definitely play a part in part of the rehabilitation process for this and keeping
you guys running and I think you know Reiki you felt the benefit of an insole in this. So,
moving on to Footwear which is a key part of this. So, if you can see that train of amurica mm-hmm
okay this here you can see on this design here this Asics as it comes down that stitching comes
right over where my bunion would sit yeah that would irritate the heel okay. So, you don't I was
sitting there thinking oh. So, I can stop it okay no. So, it will irritate it really irritates okay.
So, and you know have a look at your trainers and you'll see on my particular trainer here where my
bunion sits there you've actually got a nice gap. So, then it's gonna irritate the other thing that
I do as well it's going to show you every simple trick the laces. So, to stop the the laces putting
in at the front here to marching putting on that side there in irritating that bunion yes yeah
what I'm gonna do instead of lacing it right from the bottom I'm gonna skip the first set of laces
lace holes like. So, and we're doing. So, it just allowing a bit more space at the bottom to Train
let me see that yes yes interesting okay. So, all I've done is just skip that first lot of loopholes
there yeah and the other thing you can do which I know is completely counterintuitive particular
you've gone out and spent a fortune on trainers are you gonna make me cut my trainers you're gonna
mark where my bunion sits and just take a scalpel or a Stanley knife and just cut across in that
area again will just give you a little bit more room there you can take it to a good old-fashioned
cobbler and see if they can stretch it for you because I have to say when I when I run it always
feels if and I try to get wide enough shoes but it feels if the shoes are pushing my big toe over.
So, I feel I've. Now, gone four bricks in the end because that's the only one that feels wide enough
at the front yeah there's a really good I think it run as well did it last year all different
types of trainers are good for bunions okay and the trouble we have Michael is if we accommodate
the width of the forefoot okay quite often left with a narrow heel which is rattling around in
the back of the trainer yes which can lead to obviously blistering but also problems with
achilles sort of irritation Haglund's deformity or pump bumps as the Americans like to call it. So,
if that is the case or if you pick your trainer up and you look into the back of your trainer you can
see there's a lot of excessive wear okay yeah yeah it's a good chance your heel is rattling around
in the back okay yeah. So, what I do am i running trainers is I'll leave that first link free uh-huh
oh then lace up as normal. Now, on the top of my foot here I've also got an extra bit of bone
growth okay thinkers it is this joint here because of the mechanics is my big toe knee or not being
quite as effective as they were got a little bit of extra bone growth sort of an arthritic change.
So, that me to fit here and and that irritates as well. So, you can get that a lot of runners
will complain of that kind of dull ache or even a buzzing feeling or sometimes a burning feeling oh
came between the first and second toes yeah. So, I'll just show you a license technique for that as
well and this works quite nicely and I use it with a lot of people. So, instead of coming across at
that point on my foot I come straight up like site ah okay yes and that allows a little bit more room
over that area there yes Boni love and stick up. So, you're essentially leaving a little gap for
it and then you just continuing across all that absolutely you don't lose a great deal of sort of
stability in that really. So, it's quite a nice little technique I think carrying on lacing is
normal and I'll just go through these very quickly and it is funny it's worth. So, like with. So,
many things in sport it's there's a lot of common sense involved isn't there there is yeah and then
until somebody shows you then you go oh and most runners know this trick but you've got that extra
I hole there mm-hmm and this is called the laced look not to be confused with the triathlete sly
flakes locks that they use to quick transitions okay that kind of toggle that they used to laced
up how did I create two bunnies is like. So, yep okay I put my foot in the shoe and I take the
opposite sides lace oh yeah put it through that loop then that side through that loop and then
put it up nice and tight like. So, and do it up as normal okay what that does it creates an extra
anchor point at the back the trainer stopped some of that movement at the back of the trainer okay
that way you can accommodate the kind of triangle that you're faced with that wide forefoot narrow
heel and hopefully give you a better sort of ride comfort in that trainer it's interesting
that you say that because the person who asked the question about the splints for bunions
she described her feet as monkey feet that's a really wide at the front and her at the back. So,
that would place exactly into that yeah yeah that's absolutely classic of you know the picture
that we see clinically as well okay you get. So, many problems with people with that you know that
really problematic foot type it's a triangle and it's such a difficult thing to address
and ladies tend to have more of a triangular shape. So, anyway no heels. So, and you know
that's hopefully a little tip though everyone yes definitely I'm gonna go try that out I'm not sure
I would cut my trainer yet but I may work my way. Thanks for watching! If you would like to learn
more about preventing sports injuries, make sure you hit the subscribe button. See you next time!