Toe separators are generally associated with women getting pedicures but men could use them too. Separating and stretching the toes can bring pain relief from bunions and other foot problems. Athletes who would like their toe muscles to be more flexible could benefit from toe separation.
What Do Toe Separators Do?
Toe separators are built to relieve pressure and realign the toes to where they really should be. They can be very helpful in preventing or relieving the pain you experience from bunions, crooked toes, claw toes, hammertoes, and plantar fasciitis. These are all very typical foot ailments that are the most prevalent with runners. They also provide support by taking the pressure off of your toes while you walk.
What Are The Types Of Toe Separators?
- Most toe separators are made out of gel, silicone, or comfortable rubber material.
- Some are a single unit and some are for individual toes.
- There are also separator socks, which are like fingerless gloves only for feet. They are typically a blend of cotton, acrylic, and spandex.
What Are The Benefits Of Toe Separators?
There are ten major benefits to using toe separators. And it’s not just for keeping nail polish dry!
- Besides addressing the aforementioned foot pain, toe separators also enable natural arch support.
- They also prevent ankle sprains and overpronation.
- Toe separators can improve blood flow to the plantar fascia.
- If the sesamoid bone orientation is what you need, toe separators can help. They do provide your body with the most stable foundation possible.
- Toe separators can even foster the development of important foot muscles.
- Proper toe alignment can improve footfall in athletics.
- Balance, weight distribution, dexterity, and proprioception can all be improved by the use of toe separators.
Overall, they can make the feet stronger and more resilient.
Do Toe Separators Help Bunions?
It’s better than getting surgery if you can avoid it. While there are many non-surgical treatments for bunions, it is crucial to always keep in mind that toe separation treats the symptoms and may not completely correct the joint deformity.
Devices that are used to aid in the realignment of the foot to the normal position include bunion pads, toe spacers, and bunion splints. These are many very effective treatments to manage the pain caused by bunions as well.
How To Use Toe Separators?
It’s pretty self-explanatory. You just stick your toes in the holes. Some of the holes are tailored to snugly fit toes of a certain size. Some people wear them while relaxing, but if your goal is to strengthen muscles you can do a little walking around in your house with them. Some are made with the purpose of doing yoga.
How Long Should You Wear Toe Separators?
Some people might discover that spacing out the toes inside of their shoes is just too intense. They may find that it makes their foot feel a bit uncomfortable. Should this be the case, you might want to consider the possibility of utilizing toe spacers for a few minutes every night. You could try gradually increasing the time up to twenty to thirty minutes.
Do Toe Separators Hurt?
If you are healthy to start with, it shouldn’t. However, wearing any kind of toe separator could be rather painful in people who suffer from arthritis or other foot problems such as a severe hammertoe.
Sleeping With Toe Separators
It is not advised. One very good possible reason you might think twice about using the spacers at night is that you are not fully aware of your feet while you are sleeping. That means that if there is any numbness, tingling, or skin irritation in the feet, it could very well go unnoticed. This is, of course, not an optimal situation.
DIY Toe Separators
You can butterfly a sponge and use that as a toe separator. Sponges are easy to clean, but they are very soft and squashy. They’re great for keeping nail polish from smearing during a pedicure but nothing very practical.
Craft foam is somewhat more substantial. Polymer clay, after hardened, would be the firmest material to use for this project, while still being just pliable to be comfortable. In any case, making your own toe separator ensures that you will have a custom fit you couldn’t get from a purchased set.
Conclusion
Many people who have to wear shoes all day, particularly if they are constantly on their feet, may feel some relief if their toes are allowed to spread out. If constant foot wearing has trained the toes to crowd together, a toe separator could untrain them and align them into a more natural position.
This resets the foot’s biomechanics and can aid in pain relief from such things as bunions and Morton’s Neuroma. Improving toe alignment also improves balance, flexibility, and strength. Toe separators have many benefits. Perhaps it is something you might like to give a try.