Your big toe is the most distant joint in the push off phase in walking or running. So if the big toe is compromised, the ankle, knee, hip or back have to take up the slack! It’s not that uncommon for the big toe to be stiff or arthritic (even in younger people). If you’ve less than a 70 degree bend in your big toe, then some other joint in your leg is doing more work than ideal, or is being forced into a traumatic position to take up the slack. If the big toe is painful from an injury (ever kick the bed frame while rushing to get the phone?) and you avoid transferring your weight through it, you are also putting more strain on another part of your leg. When your big toe is injured/ compromised, it needs to be rehabilitated before the rest of the leg suffers.

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