Effect of toe exercises and toe-grip strength on the treatment of primary metatarsalgia

Abstract Background: The relationship of metatarsalgia and toe function is poorly understood. We investigated the efficacy of toe exercises for the treatment of metatarsalgia. Methods: Forty-one (56 feet) metatarsalgia patients (mean age±SD: 63.4±10.6) underwent toe strength measurement. We recorded pre- and post-treatment VAS score, AOFAS score, marble pickup, single-leg standing time (SLST), and compared in two subgroups to evaluate impact of disease duration on treatment outcome. Results: Post treatment, toe plantarflexion strength improved (all p <0.01); VAS scores decreased ( p <0.01); AOFAS scores, marble pickup, and SLST improved (all p 1 year had significantly lower changes in VAS scores ( p <0.01). Multivariate analysis showed patients with longer disease duration and larger body mass index had significantly lower improvement in VAS scores ( p= 0.029 and p =0.036, respectively). Device consistency assessed by ICC was excellent (0.89–0.97).Conclusion: Toe function and metatarsalgia is improved by toe exercises, suggesting that they are closely related.