Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Pressure behind big toe

Paul - I am going cycling in Europe for three months soon--Lisbon to Athens. I am approaching this last minute but am wondering about foot numbness and pressure behind the big toe I experience in my left leg. My PT said I supinate and that a tilted cleat may help. It does feel like I rotate my leg inward on my downward pedal stroke, most noticeably on my left leg. Any advice would be much appreciated. I cycle Shimano SPD's.   Erik.

At this point it sounds like getting in for a GOOD bike fit would be your best option. I would only consider someone well-versed with the foot pedal interface.

 
Sight unseen, I can suggest a few things: 
1.Consider moving the cleat back toward the heel.

2.Your leg rotating inward is a classic sign for needing wedges. I would suggest adding a cleat wedge or two – Maybe purchase one of our new VV1 cleats. Since you are going to Europe, this may be the best solution for durability.

3.You may also need to move your foot in closer toward the crank arm.  However, I am not sure on this one based solely on your e-mail…..it is something I would look at if we met in person.

4.I would consider adding a good insole like Supefeet –yellow for cycling.

5. If your big toe drops lower than all of your other toes, think about cutting out the area under the big toe of an insole. Do this on a separate pair of insoles and see how it feels.

6.Lastly, but perhaps most important, is checking inside the shoe under the current insole.  Make sure the surface is smooth and not mucked up and/or a screw is NOT sticking/pushing thru the bottom inside the shoe.

Over time, misalignments can bring on certain symptoms. Getting on top this of prior to your trip would be ideal. Thanks for the question and hope this helps

No comments:

Post a Comment