Foot Intrinsics – Little Toe

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In this post we’re going to move onto the intrinsic muscles responsible for moving the little toe (on the bottom of the foot). Like the big toe, the little toe plays a big role in weight bearing and ambulation. That’s why it has its own muscles, seperate from the other toes. Every time the foot lands on the heel, the body then moves forward. During this shock absorption phase, the outside of the foot gets loaded first calling these muscles into action. As they accept the weight load, they shift this to the middle toes and lastly to the big. They then help stabilize the foot to prepare for push off. This is accomplished by helping to spread the toes and position the metatarsals so that the long tendons can do their job and propel us forward.

Sound complicated? It is! Here’s an easy way to think of it: for these little muscles to do their job completely requires them to be able to contract and then relax as they set up the big toe to do the heavy lifting. If something is off (either in the foot itself or upstream in the ankle or leg) and that process is rushed, these two little muscles will get beat up quickly. Over time, they’ll just stop working altogether and atrophy.

#1 Flexor Digiti Minimi (FDM)

  •  The FDM is responsible for bending the little toe at the MTP joint, NOT the little joints up in the toe itself. It originates on the fifth metarsal and the peroneal longus tendon before traveling up into the little toe. The peroneal attachment is key! Restrictions either in the peroneal or in FDM will affect each other. Likewise, the AH (which supplies the big toe) also attaches to the peroneal tendon. The same restriction rules apply.
  • For those of you battling peroneal problems/lateral foot pain, this is a muscle you want to pay attention to! Anything that pulls that tendon tighter against the bone (like the FDM and AH), will create more inflammation and pain.
  • The common pain referral area for this muscle is the purple circle above.
  • Muscle restrictions/trigger points in this muscle are commonly misdiagnosed as possible stress fractures in the fifth metatarsal.
  • In the video below, we’ll go over finding the muscle/palpating it and how to stretch it to test it’s mobility.

#2 Abductor Digiti Minimi

  • The ADM muscle lies on top of the FDM muscle. It attaches to the calcaneus and travels up into the little toe. It is the most lateral intrinsic muscle and like the AHB on the big toe side, is one of the bigger muscles as well. This muscle is in the most superficial layer directly beneath the plantar fascia.
  • This muscle is responsible for abducting and flexing the little toe at the MTP joint. This is important because spreading the toes improves the base of support for push off/propulsion. Restrictions here will make it difficult to flatten the foot and get to the big toe.
  • The common pain referral area for this muscle is the purple circle above. Note: most of the symptoms for this muscle will be up near the tendon and not down in the muscle belly itself.
  • Muscle restrictions/trigger points in this area are the same as for the FDM- suspected stress fractures in the fifth metatarsal.
  • In the video below, we’ll go over finding the muscle/palpating it and how to stretch it to test it’s mobility.

 

Video – Palpation (aka how to find the muscles in your foot) and Stretching

In the next post, we move onto the middle toe intrinsics. Once we’re through all of the little muscles, we’re going to talk treatment and what other areas you should be thinking about!

Click here to go back to part one (big toe)

Click here to continue to part three (middle toes)

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