Massage for disorders of the bone structure of the thumb

Treatment

How to massage with hallux valgus?

08/22/2018 Arina Sokh No Comments
Many women know first-hand about this disease, which is popularly called very simply - “bone” or “bump”. The correct name is hallux valgus. Men are also susceptible to this pathology, but much less frequently. We would like to introduce you a little to one of the most popular treatment methods - massage.

A protruding bunion on the foot mainly appears in women after forty years of age. Patients often experience pain. The disease is difficult to treat. Patients most often have to follow doctor's recommendations throughout their lives. Long-term treatment involves weight control, load correction, exercise therapy, and massages.

Why does a bone appear near the thumb?

It is a mistaken belief that this formation is a salt deposit or a bone growth. In fact, this is a deformation of the joint of the first toe with its outward curvature.

A protruding bunion on the foot mainly appears in women after forty years of age.

In some situations, the lump is bursitis: inflammation of the mucous membrane of the joint. Heredity can also give a predisposition to this condition, but the main reasons are:

• unfavorable working conditions. In particular, standing work or those that involve walking long distances;
• obesity. Excess weight has a detrimental effect on the ligaments of the foot, weakening them;
• narrow shoes or high heels. In this case, the curvature occurs due to improper position of the foot.

All these factors affect the ligamentous apparatus of the foot. Therefore, treatment will involve strengthening it. Manual therapy plays a leading role.

The method according to which the massage should be performed is selected based on what reason supposedly caused the deformation of the bone on the big toe (different options can be seen in the video). Anyone can massage their feet on their own; if all the exercises are performed correctly, the size of the foot can be significantly reduced.

Treatment of a protruding bunion near the big toe

Diagnostics at Clinic No. 1 Khimki

How to get to the clinic?

Disease history

• The patient may experience pain in the big toe when walking or making any movements. This may indicate degeneration of intra-articular cartilage.
• The pain may be aching in the metatarsal area due to wearing shoes. Possible increase in deformation.
• It is necessary to find out what physical activities increase the pain and what relieves the pain (maybe just taking off your shoes).
• History of injury or arthritis.
• It is quite rare to experience sharp pain or tingling in the dorsal region of the bursa of the thumb, which may indicate traumatic neuritis of the middle dorsal cutaneous nerve.
• The patient may also describe symptoms caused by the deformity, such as a painful second toe, interdigital keratosis, or ulcer formation.

Visual inspection

• It is necessary to observe the patient's gait. This will help determine the degree of pain and possible gait disturbances associated with problems in the legs.
• The position of the big toe in relation to the other toes. Distortion of the joint can be in different projections.
• Prominent joint position. Erythema or swelling indicates shoe pressure and irritation.
• Range of motion of the big toe at the metatarsal joint. Normal posterior flexion is 65-75° with plantar flexion less than 15°. Moreover, it is necessary to pay attention to whether pain and crepitus are present. Pain without crepitus suggests the presence of synovitis.
• The presence of any keratosis, which suggests pathological chafing from improper gait.
• Associated deformities may include hammertoes and flexible or rigid flat feet. These deformities can cause hallux valgus to progress more rapidly as the lateral support of the foot is reduced.

Changes in movement of the thumb joint:

• Increased abduction of the big toe in the transverse and frontal planes.
• Increased average toe prominence.
• Change in backward flexion of the joint.

In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of the skin and peripheral pulse. Good blood circulation is especially important if surgical treatment is planned and normal healing of the postoperative wound is necessary.

The effectiveness of massage for hallux valgus

Massage is mandatory to treat bunion deformities. Unfortunately, it is only possible to completely correct the situation when the necessary assistance is provided at an early stage.

Benefits of big toe massage:

• helps strengthen the ligaments and muscles of the foot;
• improves blood microcirculation;
• promotes relaxation and pain reduction;
• reduces the risk of inflammation.

Only by massaging the protruding bones regularly can improvement be achieved. It is preferable that the procedure be carried out by a specialist, but, as a last resort, you can do it yourself.

When your big toe joint hurts, it could be a sign of injury.

When will the first result be noticeable?

Before going to a specialist, or finally deciding to individually deal with a bunion on the big toe, many people wonder when to expect noticeable results?

Of course, it is impossible to quickly cope with such deformation. This will take some time. But experts note that if you combine massage with other wellness procedures, the result will be noticeable within a month.

Complete relief will take three to five months. The duration of treatment depends on how deformed the foot is. If the bone has just begun to grow and you immediately begin treatment, then it will be much easier to get rid of it.

Precautions and contraindications when performing foot massage

To ensure that the procedure is beneficial and does not aggravate the situation, observe the following precautions:

1. If massage when curving the joint of the first finger causes severe pain, you should stop it. The foot of the affected limb should be lightly stroked, and when the pain stops, you can continue. Minor discomfort is also possible, but you should not attach much importance to it.
2. In case of hallux valgus, massage is prohibited if the patient has dermatological diseases, eczema, or allergic reactions.
3. You should not undertake the procedure if you have not prepared a cream or special oil in advance. In this case, there is a risk of skin injury.

Regarding contraindications, it should be noted that people with varicose veins and pregnant women cannot carry out the procedure on their own. In such cases, massage performed only by a specialist is allowed.

Precautions and contraindications when performing foot massage

Rehabilitation after surgery at Clinic No. 1

It takes an average of 8 weeks for the soft tissue and bones to heal. During this period, it is better to place the foot in shoes with a wooden sole or a special bandage in order to prevent trauma to the operated tissues and allow normal regeneration. Immediately after surgery you may need crutches.

In patients with severe bursitis, physiotherapy (up to 6-7 procedures) may be prescribed a certain time after surgery. In addition, you must wear shoes with wide fronts. It is also possible to use correctors. All this can allow you to quickly return to normal walking.

The Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics at Clinic No. 1 also provides services in the following areas:

• bone or joint pain;
• bunions (bumps) on the feet (Halvalgus deformity of the big toe)
• open fractures
• diseases of large joints
• torn anterior knee ligament
• limb injuries;
• dissection;
• bruises;
• dislocations and deformations;
• deterioration of motor ability and others.

Prices for services

Preparing for a massage

In order to remove the bump, as well as remove the unpleasant sensations that cause bunions, you need to prepare your feet before the massage. Baths work well. For their preparation, medicinal plants (chamomile, sage, pine needles and others) or a few drops of essential oil of your choice are usually used.

After the event, the skin of the feet is moisturized with a nourishing, regenerating or other special cream. Currently, you can buy many foot care products in pharmacies. Of course, you should not rely on them having a pronounced healing effect, but the components included in their composition will help restore the skin. Some components penetrate into the deep layers of the skin and reduce pain.

You can choose from a product with a cooling, warming or neutral effect. It is positive if the composition contains bischofite, aloe, rocks, bile or bear fat.

To make the massage more convenient, place a soft cushion under your feet - it can be a small pillow or a folded bath towel.

Heel massage instead of head pills

The feet and heels are the foundation on which the entire body rests. The slightest violation of their functions will lead to negative consequences for the entire body. For example, if the left foot is slightly deformed or any of its muscles are tight, the body will begin to compensate for this by straining the right half of the body and will put additional stress on the right leg: ankle, knee, hip joint, then the lower back and neck will be involved. As a result, compression of the blood vessels will occur, blood pressure will increase, and a headache will appear...

What does the most ordinary person do in most of these cases? He takes medicine for blood pressure or migraines to suppress an unpleasant symptom that interferes with his life. And certainly the very last thing to do is massage your feet. It turns out that it was in vain.

Nature intended that our ancestors could run barefoot for a long time over rough terrain. Since birth, we have been wearing shoes, and not always comfortable ones. Most often, the feet are deprived of our attention and care, although they bear a huge burden. Therefore, massage and walking barefoot on the ground or on special massage mats is our chance to thank our feet and give them the sensations they need.

In return, we will receive not only pleasure, but also the prevention of many diseases and injuries, reduced stress levels and improved mood. Let's take a closer look at the benefits of foot massage.

How to massage with hallux valgus

The first stage of massaging is preparing the skin and soft tissues for the procedure. This can be compared to warming up in gymnastic exercises. Warm up your legs:

1. Lightly rub your thighs and calves. This will help improve blood circulation in your feet.
2. Now let’s warm up the feet themselves. Here we need oil or cream for massage. Stroke the sole of your foot. Then lightly stretch your fingers and move from them towards the ankle.

Finally, we start massaging. There are many different techniques, their effectiveness is approximately the same. We start with the fingers - rub and knead each of them.

To make the massage more convenient, place a soft cushion under your feet.

Below are the most effective exercises:

1. We pay attention to the thumb. We hold the cone with our hand and rotate it around its axis with a slight movement. Gently rotate your finger clockwise, and then, holding it by the nail, counterclockwise.
2. Then it is necessary to develop the muscular frame of the foot and each toe. To do this, use massage, stretching movements to move through the ligaments and muscles. Pay special attention to your thumb.
3. Another effective exercise is raising four fingers, with the thumb in a plane parallel to the floor. This exercise should be performed 10-15 times for each limb. This may seem very difficult at first, but be patient and try to repeat it again and again.
4. Alternately move your thumb to the left and then to the right, while leaving the entire foot motionless. It may seem like there is no movement, but muscle tension is important in this exercise.
5. Press your first finger to the floor with your hands, and with muscle effort, try to resist your hands for 2-5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
6. Massage each finger.
7. Using your hand, gently straighten the affected toe parallel to the other toes.