Dr. Roger Bainster breaking the 4 minute mile

 A new book by author Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen summarizes the foundational concepts of barefoot running.  He explains that while people have focused much attention on shoe wear, it is really an issue with form.  He also argues that running free of cumbersome shoe wear is essential to human nature (http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/22/2180569/author-mcdougall-challenges-us.html).  Citing anthropological evidence for his support of barefoot and minimalist running, he draws extensively from the Tarahumara tribe: they live in the Copper Canyons of Mexico and run great distances without injuries because, he claims, they wear homemade sandals to run in.  Since the publication of McDougall’s book, they have figured prominently in conversations about the barefoot movement, which deems the thickly padded shoes detrimental to feet everywhere (http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/22/2180569/author-mcdougall-challenges-us.html#ixzz1KZZd4W00). 

As the first annual International Barefoot Runners Day approaches on May 1, 2011, the concept of barefoot running will be getting more attention. There must be something to it since so many people have testified that running barefoot or with lighter shoes—such as the Vibram Five Fingers shoe– has helped them overcome repetitive injuries or generalized pain from their athletic pursuits.  Dr. Burton S. Schuler,   author of Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, has practice podiatry in Panama City, Florida for over three decades and has treated world class runners and athletes.  Schuler has written on the importance of customizing your footwear and exercise routines to fit your own unique situation  This can include having your feet checked to see if you suffer from a short first metatarsal bone.  If you do, this condition is known as “Morton’s Toe” and can greatly impact your running form.  Schuler prescribes a toe pad to patients who need something to help correct the foot’s natural alignment when it hits the ground (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/home/#tp).

 While McDougall supports the idea of moving away from thickly padded running shoes, he also acknowledges that different shoes work for different people, or the same runner may want to consider where they are running, their own form, etc.  Schuler’s advice that a short first metatarsal bone can impact running form, when combined with the latest attention paid to barefoot and minimal shoe wear, gives runners and other athletes opportunities to expand their own comfort zones, eliminate pain, and enhance their enjoyment of their sport.  Whether you believe, as McDougall does, that running is essential to human nature, and that we were all “born to run”, today runners have more research and information at their fingertips than ever before—including McDougall’s views

A Morton's Toe, note long 2nd toe

 ”Morton’s Toe”, or Long Second Toe means  having either one or both of two abnormal, inherited conditions of the first metatarsal bone of the foot (see next paragraphy) . Morton’s Toe was first written about in the 1920s by Dr. Dudley J. Morton. Its importance in causing pain throughout the body was taught by Dr. Janet Travell who was President Kennedy’s and Johnson’s White House physician.

What is the first metatarsal bone ?

The first metatarsal bone is a finger-like bone to which the big toe attaches to. It extents about halfway down your foot toward your heel. There are five metatarsal bones one that attaches to each toe bone. They are inside your foot so you really cannot see them. The only way to truly see the metatarsal bones is with an x-ray of the foot.

Morton’s Toe,  Long Second Toe , can be caused by one or both of two problems that can effect the first metatarsal bone.

1. The first abnormal condition, and the most noted one, that can cause Morton’s Toe is where your first metatarsal bone is shorter than your second metatarsal bone.

2. The second condition that can cause a Morton’s Toe is when your first metatarsal bone is not as stable as it should be, and as a result, has too much motion. This is known as “Hypermobility of the First Metatarsal Bone.”

Do You Have a Short First Metatarsal Bone

 Look down at your feet. Socks off please! The Long Second Toe, or Short First metatarsal bone:

 If your second toe seems longer, (and I mean even just a hair longer) than your first toe, you may have a short first metatarsal bone. The above photograph show a classic Morton’s Toe , Long Second Toe caused by a short first metatarsal bone. Note how the big toe is shorter than the second toe. Morton’s Toe is normally not this noticeable. Most of the time in a Morton’s Toe, Long Second Toe the big toe will appear to be only a little shorter than the second toe or just about the same length as the second toe.

Another way to check to see if you have a short first metatarsal bone is to hold your first and second toes down. Right behind the spot where the toes attach to the foot, you will see bumps pushing up from the top of your foot. These bumps are the heads of the first and second metatarsal bones. Using a pen, lipstick, or marker, draw a line where the bumps end (flat area) and meet the top of the foot. This spot is the very end of both of the heads of the first and second metatarsal bones. Look at both lines. If the line of the second metatarsal head is farther down your foot toward your toes than the first metatarsal head, even just a very little, then you probably have a short first metatarsal bone. Sometimes it is not necessary to draw a line on top of the foot because the relationship of the metatarsal heads can easily be seen. If this is the case, you can see without difficulty that the second metatarsal head is farther down the top of the foot than the first metatarsal head.

Frequently, people with short first metatarsal bones will also have a “webbing” between their second and third toes like the picture above. They will have a flap of excess skin that sort of looks like a “bat wing” in between the second and third toes. If you do have this webbing of the toes, it is a pretty good tip off that you do have a short metatarsal bone or you are part duck. Check to see if Mom or Dad, or anyone else in the family has this also.

Do You Have Hypermobility of the First Metatarsal Bone:

In a 1928 paper in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, and in Chapter 23 of his book The Human Foot, Dr. Dudley J. Morton father of the Morton’s Toe, Long Second Toe, writes about, hypermobility of the first metatarsal bone, the other problems associated with Morton’s Toe. Hypermobility of the First Metatarsal Bone may not be as famous as its “partner in pain,” the short first metatarsal bone, but in Morton’s own words “is responsible for the widest range of foot problems”. Hypermobility refers to the excessive motion present at the first metatarsal bone. In the normal foot, there would be very little motion at this area. But in a foot with hypermobility of the first metatarsal bone, there is an excessive amount of motion that takes place.

According to Dr. Morton, the reason for the excessive motion is due to an abnormal laxity (looseness) of the plantar ligament that runs under the metatarsal bone. This laxity is either inherited or acquired in childhood. Because the ligament is abnormally loose, the first metatarsal bone is not as stable as it should be, resulting in many foot problems. Unlike the short first metatarsal bone, Long Second Toe, there is no simple reliable way that you can determine on your own if you have hypermobility of the first metatarsal bone. But because it is treated the same way as the short first metatarsal bone, with the Toe Pad, discussed in greater detail in the new book Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot

It is not that important for you to know for sure if you have hypermobility or not.

What counts is are you any feeling better once you start to treat yourself for your Morton’s Toe? Dr. Morton recognized that besides having either a short first metatarsal bone, Long Second Toe, or hypermobility of that bone, there were many other actions, stresses, strains, and forces that affected the way your foot works and that can cause and contribute to foot problems. At no time or place did Dr. Morton ever state that having either of those conditions was a guarantee of having a foot problem or any other problem. In fact, the only thing he ever stated was that by having the short first metatarsal bone or the hypermobility of the first metatarsal bone may lead to having foot problems. In addition, it is very important that you need to be aware of  the  Aches and Pains a Morton’s Toe can cause, of your feet and body. Morton’s Toe cannot only cause foot problems but as you will see, it can cause pains all over your body.

Dr. Burton S. Schuler,  Foot Doctor, Podiatrist of Panama City Fl Dr. Burton S. Schuler is a foot doctor, podiatrist, (foot specialist) of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center. He has felt for over 30 years that a very common, but painful, medical condition known as a Morton’s Toe, (Long Second Toe) is the real forgotten reason for knee pain, back pain, hip pain, leg pains, foot pain; and many other problems in millions of people world wide. Dr Schuler says: “People you know suffer everyday with chronic aches and pains from head to toe and don’t know why. Many of them have lost all hope, and believe they will have to live with these pains for the rest of their lives. This is not the case anymore because the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) may be the answer. It is good proven medicine, but most physicians have never heard of it ” Schuler also says “A Morton’s Toe is an abnormality of one bone in the foot (first metatarsal bone) that could be the real unidentified reason (the “medical missing link”) for people’s unending torments and suffering all over there body. A Morton’s Toe can cause leg cramps, (night cramps), fibromyalgia, arthritis, and numerous other problems. Knowing about the Morton’s Toe is important because it offer the public well established medical information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains , and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. “. In the 1920′s thru 1950′s Dr. Dudley J. Morton who taught at the Yale and Columbia Medical Schools, and who was considered this country leading authority on the human foot, stated that a problem with one bone in your foot, (Morton’s Toe) was the major reason for most foot problems. Building on his work Dr. Janet Travell, White House physician to President John F. Kennedy, and President Lyndon B. Johnson, and who was also Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University wrote that Morton’s Toe could also cause pain all over your body. She felt that the Morton’s Toe was so important that at the age of 89, she made a video to teach other doctors about the body wide problems the Morton’s Toe can cause. In his book, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, tells the reader in a simple and easy way what a Morton’s Toe is, if they have a Morton’s Toe, (Long Second Toe) and how to treat it themselves for about $2-3.00. Along the way, he shows them the excellent medicine the Morton’s Toe is based on and the story of the two very famous physicians who wrote and taught about it for seven decades.

Dr. Burton S. Schuler, is a foot doctor and podiatrist leading authority on the Morton’s Toe Long Second Toe and it associated problems. He is the author of the leading book about The Morton’s Toe, Long Second Toe Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In the Foot The book is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group. It will be translated to Greek this Year. Dr. Schuler, graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since. In 1982, he published his first book, The Agony of De-Feet: A Podiatrist Guide to Foot Care. During his thirty-five year professional career, he has written for Collier’s Encyclopedia and various podiatric journals and publications. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, First in Women, and many other publications. Dr. Schuler has appeared on hundreds of radio shows both here and aboard. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and the National Board of Podiatric Examiners. Dr. Schuler is a certified a wound specialist from the American Academy of Wound Management. His professional and civic accomplishments have earned his inclusion in the 1999-2002 Who’s Who in America (Marquis). Dr. Burton S. Schuler, Foot Doctor, Podiatrist of Panama City Fl Dr. Burton S. Schuler is a foot doctor, podiatrist, (foot specialist) of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center. He has felt for over 30 years that a very common, but painful, medical condition known as a Morton’s Toe, (Long Second Toe) is the real forgotten reason for knee pain, back pain, hip pain, leg pains, foot pain; and many other problems in millions of people world wide. Dr Schuler says: “People you know suffer everyday with chronic aches and pains from head to toe and don’t know why. Many of them have lost all hope, and believe they will have to live with these pains for the rest of their lives. This is not the case anymore because the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) may be the answer. It is good proven medicine, but most physicians have never heard of it ” Schuler also says “A Morton’s Toe is an abnormality of one bone in the foot (first metatarsal bone) that could be the real unidentified reason (the “medical missing link”) for people’s unending torments and suffering all over there body. A Morton’s Toe can cause leg cramps, (night cramps), fibromyalgia, arthritis, and numerous other problems. Knowing about the Morton’s Toe is important because it offer the public well established medical information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains , and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. “. In the 1920′s thru 1950′s Dr. Dudley J. Morton who taught at the Yale and Columbia Medical Schools, and who was considered this country leading authority on the human foot, stated that a problem with one bone in your foot, (Morton’s Toe) was the major reason for most foot problems. Building on his work Dr. Janet Travell, White House physician to President John F. Kennedy, and President Lyndon B. Johnson, and who was also Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University wrote that Morton’s Toe could also cause pain all over your body. She felt that the Morton’s Toe was so important that at the age of 89, she made a video to teach other doctors about the body wide problems the Morton’s Toe can cause. In his book, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, tells the reader in a simple and easy way what a Morton’s Toe is, if they have a Morton’s Toe, (Long Second Toe) and how to treat it themselves for about $2-3.00. Along the way, he shows them the excellent medicine the Morton’s Toe is based on and the story of the two very famous physicians who wrote and taught about it for seven decades. Dr. Burton S. Schuler, is a foot doctor and podiatrist leading authority on the Morton’s Toe Long Second Toe and it associated problems. He is the author of the leading book about The Morton’s Toe, Long Second Toe Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In the Foot The book is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group. It will be translated to Greek this Year. Dr. Schuler, graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since. In 1982, he published his first book, The Agony of De-Feet: A Podiatrist Guide to Foot Care. During his thirty-five year professional career, he has written for Collier’s Encyclopedia and various podiatric journals and publications. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, First in Women, and many other publications. Dr. Schuler has appeared on hundreds of radio shows both here and aboard. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and the National Board of Podiatric Examiners. Dr. Schuler is a certified a wound specialist from the American Academy of Wound Management. His professional and civic accomplishments have earned his inclusion in the 1999-2002 Who’s Who in America (Marquis). Patients ask me all the time did I get these bunions because I wore the wrong shoe. The answer is not really. A bunion is a bump that forms over a the head of the first metatarsal bone. In most cases, the big toe joint, also known as the 1st metatarsal joint, also is enlarged due to arthritis. The toe also may be pushed toward the second toe At one time or another in their lives, most women will wear some type of shoes that are wrong for them. But only some of them will develop bunions. This is because it is not the shoe causing the bunion (shoes can make it a lot worst) but the foot you were born with. Our old friend the Morton’s Toe is the real reason in many cases. Hypermobility of the first metatarsal bone is one of the things that can cause a Morton’s Toe. If you have hypermobility, it will force the first metatarsal head (bunion bone) to move abnormally. It will cause the front part of the foot or forefoot to have excess tension on a muscle called the Adductor Hallucis. . This irregular tension pulls the Adductor Hallucis tendon away from the second metatarsal head. This is the start of a bunion. The good news is the toe pad can stop this abnormal movement, and save you from having foot surgery.

President Bill Clinton and Dr. Burton S. Schuler,

Temporomandibular (TMJ) Disorder is included in a recent study about women’s chronic pain sponsored by the Campaign to End Chronic Pain in Women http://wwww.endwomenspain.org). This campaign links a variety of misunderstood chronic pain conditions suffered by women, and it suggests that more research needs to be done to understand the causes of women’s pain. The report included sections on Vulvodynia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Endometriosis, Fibromyalgia, Interstitial Cystitis, and TMJ.

Jaw pain is a primary symptom of TMJ, and basic functions like speaking, and chewing and swallowing food can be affected by the disorder. Like many of the other disorders included in the study, it is unclear what causes TMJ, and there is no clear treatment path to follow.

About 35 million Americans suffer from TMJ, and it mimics other conditions like Fibromyalgia in that it overwhelmingly discriminates against women: 90% of all TMJ patients are women of childbearing age, and it takes an average of 4 years between the onset of TMJ symptoms and its diagnosis http://www.endwomenspain.org/about ). The report states that “this is a highly complex disease involving genetic and hormonal influences as well as a myriad of complex biologic factors.” One genetic connection, not mentioned in the report, is the misfortune of inheriting a longer second toe http://www.footcare4u.com/category/the-wrong-kind-of-inheritance/)

“Morton’s Toe” (Long Second Toe) is named after Dr. Dudley J. Morton, who first studied and wrote about this widespread medical phenomenon in the 1930′s, and it is a condition that applies to millions of people. But how does a longer second toe influence the jaw region? According to Morton’s Toe expert, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, who has practiced podiatry for 36 years in Florida, a longer second toe can have painful reverberations throughout the body–including the jaw.

When the foot does not hit the ground and roll properly because the second toe is longer than the first, this is said to be an example of abnormal pronation. When abnormal pronation occurs, it is myofascial trigger points throughout the body can be effected http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/myofascial-pain-and-the-mortons-toe/). Myofasical Pain Syndrome (MPS) is muscle pain, and it was first researched by Dr. Janet Travell, Dr. Dudley J. Morton’s peer and a White House doctor for both Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. There are two possibilities Dr. Travell considered that have immediate consequences for those suffering with TMJ today. The first is pain in one body part can affect another body part body, and the second is that a Morton’s Toe can possibly be the cause of unexplained pain away from the foot.

When we consider that women are 90% more likely to be diagnosed with TMJ, does this mean that the majority of people who suffer from Morton’s Toe are women? Not necessarily. But due to cultural standards of beauty, women do tend to wear shoes that do no fit the foot well and may exacerbate pain in the foot caused by Morton’s Toe, leading to pain in other parts of the body. Dr. Morton warned women about the negative impact of high heels on women as early as 1935 http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/high-heel-shoes/). Even though times have changed and there is more awareness about high heels and ill fitting footwear, a mere review of women’s magazines reminds us that these beauty standards still exist for women. So if all of this is correct, we may have an example of putting our foot in their mouth when it comes to women and TMJ diagnosis.

More about the Morton’s Toe,

In the 1920′s and 1930″s Dr. Dudley J. Morton of Yale Medical School and Columbia Medical School wrote that a problem with the 1st metatarsal bone, known as a Morton’s Toe could be the reason for most foot problems. Dr. Janet Travel, White House physician to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University took this concept further by writing and teaching that the Morton’s Toe could cause pain all over your body. She wrote and taught for four decades that a Morton’s Toe could cause back, hip, knee, leg foot and ankles problems. She felt that the Morton’s Toe, was so important that at the age of 89 she made a video tape to teach other physicians about how to recognize it and how to treat it.

Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, tells the story of these two famous physicians and their association with the common, but painful, medical condition known as the Morton’s Toe. Millions of people suffer everyday with chronic aches and pains from head to toe and don’t know why. Many of them have lost all hope, and believe they will have to live with these pains for the rest of their lives. The book is significant because for the first time in seventy years the public is made aware of the importance of the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) , and the fact that could be the real unidentified reason (the “medical missing link”) for their unending torments. This book will also show how Morton’s Toe can also cause fibromyalgia, arthritis, sleep disturbances (RLS), temporomandibular joint pain, and numerous other problems through out the body The good news is that all of these problems can be treated with a simple pad that costs about two to three dollars. The bad news is that in spite of the fact that two of the most famous doctors of the twentieth century were behind the Morton’s Toe, most modern day physicians are not aware of Morton’s Toe or of it ability of causing pain all over the body. This book took six years to research and write, but Dr. Burton Schuler author of Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, feels it was worth it because it should be able to help many people get out of pain. The book is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group. It will be translated to Greek this Year.

About the Author: Dr. Burton S. Schuler foot doctor, foot specialist, podiatrist of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center and is a leading authority on the Morton’s Toe, Long Second Toe and it associated problems Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, is the story of how one bone in your foot could be the real reason for pains thru out your whole body. It is important because it offer the public new information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains, and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. It literally can be the “medical missing link”

Dr. Schuler, graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since. In 1982, he published his first book, The Agony of De-Feet: A Podiatrist Guide to Foot Care. During his thirty-five year professional career, he has written for Collier’s Encyclopedia and various podiatric journals and publications. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, First in Women, and other publications. Dr. Schuler has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs both here and aboard. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and the National Board of Podiatric Examiners. Dr. Schuler is certified as a wound specialist from the American Academy of Wound Management. His professional and civic accomplishments have earned his inclusion in the 1999-2002 Who’s Who in America (Marquis).

If you have corns or experience a burning sensation in your foot, it is likely that this can be caused by a general medical problem referred to as “metatarsalgia.” This term is best described as an “umbrella term” for foot pain.  Metatarsalgia symptoms may include: pain in the foot; pain that intensifies when walking or running; pain that is higher when walking on hard surfaces; numbness or tingling sensations in the toes; pain when walking barefoot (http://health.ezinemark.com/is-it-corns-or-metatarsalgia-31c88a37500.html).

In Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, the author, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, explains that common foot problems–many included in the general term metatarsalgia– are caused by Morton’s Toe, or a short first metatarsal bone, including burning, aching and throbbing on the balls of the feet. This throbbing takes place because when you have a Morton’s Toe, abnormal stress is applied to the ball of the foot (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/burning/). When this happens, the second through fifth metatarsal bones push down in an unusual manner against the ground. The result is injury to skin, nerves, muscles, and bursas at the ball of the foot. This is why the ball of the foot can burn, ache, hurt, and throb.

It is not usual for these burning discomforts to start on the balls of the feet and then spread into the toes or up the legs. Many patients have these leg problems, and it disturbs their sleep. Dr. Schuler reminds us that the physician who first wrote about Morton’s Toe, Dr. Dudley J. Morton, said these night “spasms” occur when foot and leg muscles are strained.

The first paper on Morton’s Toe by Dr. Dudley J. Morton appeared in 1927, in the prestigious Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/dr-dudley-j-morton/). The paper presented Morton’s theory about how a short first metatarsal bone has harmful effects on the foot.  Another paper published in the same journal in 1928 described, for the first time, another condition of the first metatarsal bone known as “Hypermobility of the First Metatarsal Bone”.  In these papers, Morton describes how a longer second toe can cause pain in the feet and legs, and throughout the body.

As with many other problems caused by Morton’s Toe, metatarsalgia–burning, aches, and pains on the ball of the foot–can be treated with a simple little Toe Pad that can realign the whole front part of the foot and allow it to work properly (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/home/#tp).

If you are searching the web looking for treatment for your neck pains (arthritis), then don’t be shocked if you find links to podiatry articles, since there is much more of a connection between your feet and your neck than you may think!

One website has recently reposted an old article explaining a medical connection between Morton’s Toe and neck arthritis because the information has been deemed “Important” to readers (http://neckarthritistreatment.org/tag/important/page/18/).  According to the posting, a leading expert on a condition called “Morton’s Toe,” (or longer second toe)–Dr. Burton S. Schuler, makes a convincing case for he impact that a longer second toe can have on pain everywhere in the body–including neck arthritis.  On the website based on his book, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, Schuler explains how arthritis can eventually form from a Morton’s Toe. “If your foot is constantly being abused on a day-in day-out basis due to an untreated Morton’s Toe or other foot problems, sooner or later the damage to these joints and other soft tissue structures will end up giving you some form of arthritis” (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/arthritis-and-the-mortons-toe/).

Arthritis is a disease affecting joints and the soft tissues in and around the joints (http://www.footcare4u.com/arthritis/). It can form when extra strain is placed on joints, and this is frequently the case with Morton’s Toe.  Morton’s Toe can throw off the natural foot step, causing an imbalance that places stress all over the body. (Schuler recommends a simple toe pad under the first toe for treatment.)  But how can the stress caused by a longer second toe extend as far as the neck?  That is a very good question that begs elaboration.

In his book, Schuler explains that many patients whom he treated for Morton’s Toe reported a positive impact on pain elsewhere in their bodies

Schuler bases this hypothesis on the writing of Dr. Janet Travell, who treated both Presidents Kennedy and  Johnson (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/resources/dr-janet-travell/).  Travell incorporated early research on Morton’s Toe in her writings on Myofascial Pain Syndrome–an extremely painful muscular condition that occurs all over and is closely related to Fibromyalgia.  Schuler extends this logic to include painful arthritic conditions, such as that found in the neck.

Dr. Schuler, graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since. In 1982, he published his first book, The Agony of De-Feet: A Podiatrist Guide to Foot Care. During his thirty-five year professional career, he has written for Collier’s Encyclopedia and various podiatric journals and publications. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, First in Women, and other publications. Dr. Schuler has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs both here and aboard. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and the National Board of Podiatric Examiners. Dr. Schuler is certified as a wound specialist from the American Academy of Wound Management. His professional and civic accomplishments have earned his inclusion in the 1999-2002 Who’s Who in America (Marquis).

According to a recent article by the Times of India, scientists have found that a drug, Cymbalta, commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, can effectively reduce joint and muscle pain–such as Fibromyalgia (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Depression-drug-eases-joint-and-muscle-pain/articleshow/7087867.cms).

University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers studied female breast cancer patients, who were taking aromatase inhibitors- that block estrogen production- which fuel some breast cancers. About half of women taking these experience aches and pains in their joints and muscles that cannot be adequately relieved by over-the-counter painkillers. Up to 20 per cent of these women will stop taking an aromatase inhibitor because of this pain. But with the use of Cymbalta, 75% of patients studied reported a 30% decrease in pain.

This is great news for women who are already enduring enough hardship due to their breast cancer diagnosis.  The ability to eliminate drug side effects should be a major concern for researchers.  There are also alternatives to treating joint and muscle pain that can be considered.  In Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, podiatrist Dr. Burton S. Schuler calls attention to the negative consequences that an undiagnosed Morton’s Toe can cause for joint/ muscle and Fibromyalgia based pain (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com).

Morton’s Toe is a longer second toe and it can have serious consequences for joint and muscle pain throughout the body.  The theory that links a longer second toe to joint and muscle pain is based on research by Dr. Dudley J. Morton, who researched and lectured on many foot problems and first addressed problems caused by longer second toe in 1927 (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/dr-dudley-j-morton/).  According to Morton, and  Dr. Schuler who draws heavily from Morton’s research,  widespread muscle and joint pain can be triggered by a longer second toe.  When a toe does not hit the ground and roll properly, stress on other parts of the foot can cause a more generalized experience of muscle and joint pain. Placing a toe pad (or quarter, if necessary) under he first toe helps correct this stress.

Since a longer second toe is rather common, a patient can go years without thinking that this condition will have any larger medical consequences for them.  Later, when patients–such as the women in the breast cancer study–have to take other medications that can possibly cause further pain, then the ability to eliminate any unnecessary pain becomes a paramount concern for health care providers.  Doctors Morton and Schuler suggest that eliminating obvious problems, like the negative impact of a longer second toe, can help anyone suffering from pain.

About the Author:  Dr. Burton S. Schuler foot doctor, foot specialist, podiatrist  of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center  and is a leading authority on the Morton’s Toe,  Long Second Toe and it associated problems. He is the author of the newly published book about The Morton’s Toe, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In the Foot. The book is published by the La Luz Press, Inc and is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group.  Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, is the story of how one bone in your foot could be the real reason for pains thru out your whole body. It is important because it offer the public new information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains, and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. It literally can be the “medical missing link”

Dr. Schuler, graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since. In 1982, he published his first book, The Agony of De-Feet: A Podiatrist Guide to Foot Care. During his thirty-five year professional career, he has written for Collier’s Encyclopedia and various podiatric journals and publications. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, First in Women, and other publications. Dr. Schuler has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs both here and aboard. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and the National Board of Podiatric Examiners. Dr. Schuler is certified as a wound specialist from the American Academy of Wound Management. His professional and civic accomplishments have earned his inclusion in the 1999-2002 Who’s Who in America (Marquis).

The ancient physical practice of Yoga, which originated in India, has become more and more popular as Americans seek a workout that includes the body and mind, and is a welcome reprieve from the gym. This expanding interest in all things yogic has spawned an industry constituted by clothing, props and related products. One of these products is Yoga Toes, which are rubber prostheses that separate and stretch the toes, similar to what is used during pedicures (http://www.yogapro.com/products/YogaToes.html).

In many yoga classes, students are encouraged to practice stretching their toes wide, with the eventual goal of returning to the bare feet of our childhood years–hence the name “Yoga Toes.” Yoga Toes are marketed as a treatment for painful and disfigured feet, and the website lists their many benefits (http://www.yogapro.com/products/YogaToes.html): spreading, stretching and exercising toes; correcting and realigning foot structure; strengthening and stretching foot muscles; improving circulation and appearance; and balancing the entire body and stimulating and improving posture.

If you are using Yoga Toes for any lengthy period of time, and you notice your toes may be stretching and strengthening, then you may also notice that your second toe is longer than the first toe (also known as “Morton’s Toe”). And if this is the case, this could be some of the cause of your foot and leg discomfort. Products like Yoga Toes and practicing yoga with bare feet can certainly help alleviate toe, foot and bodily pain. But you may still suffer inexplicable pain, and this can be treated by placing a toe pad under your first toe. This pad helps redistribute the weight proportionally across the foot, thus relieving the stress that can be caused by abnormal pronation from a longer second toe (http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/pronation/).

Products such as Yoga Toes may not be a stretch for helping alleviate pain and discomfort, but a simple toe pad under the first toe can be worn throughout your busy day and it addresses the fundamental cause of much foot pain.

In the 1920’s and 1930”s Dr. Dudley J. Morton of Yale Medical School and Columbia Medical School wrote that a problem with the 1^st metatarsal bone, known as a Morton’s Toe could be the reason for most foot problems. Dr. Janet Travel, White House physician to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University took this concept further by writing and teaching that the Morton’s Toe could cause pain all over your body. She wrote and taught for four decades that a “Morton’s Toe could cause, back, hip, knee, leg foot and ankles problems. In the new book, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot  Dr. Burton S. Schuler, also shows how it can also cause arthritis, fibromyalgia, sleep disturbances, and TMJ. The good news is that all of these problems can be treated with a simple pad that costs about two to three dollars. .

About the Author: Dr. Burton S. Schuler is a leading authority on the Morton’s Toe and it associated problems. He is the author of the newly published book about The Morton’s Toe, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In the Foot. The book published by the La Luz Press, Inc.,   is the story of how one bone in your foot could be the real reason for pains thru out your whole body. This book is important because it offer the public new information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains, and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. It literally can be the “medical missing link” . He graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since. In 1982, he published his first book, The Agony of De-Feet:

Dr. Dudley Morton 1935 book The Human Foot

Dr. Burton S. Schuler, a foot doctor, foot specialist (Podiatrist), who specializes of Panama City Fl, believes that the U.S. military is missing the boat when it comes to a common foot problem known as a march fracture. Dr. Schuler is a leading expert on the medical condition known as the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) . He is the author of the new book about the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe), Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot. He feels that the Morton’s Toe is the real reason for thousand of cases of March Fracture a year in that the military is missing. In fact, Schuler feel that the Morton’s Toe, (Long Second Toe) is one of the most overlooked reasons why people suffer everyday with pains all over their body.

What is a March Fracture or Stress fracture

A March Fracture is a spontaneous breaking of a bone, caused by excessive abnormal stress applied to that bone. The second metatarsal bone is most common bone this fracture takes place at. Normally the patient will first have some pain over the top of the foot, with or without swelling. An x-ray may even appear normal.

In the military, these fractures are known as “March Fractures”. When a service man goes on marches, some of them end up with fractures of their second or third metatarsal bones for no apparent reason.

In the civilian world, a stress fracture is the same thing as the march fracture except it is caused by day-in day-out stress applied upon the metatarsal bone and not by marching. I have found that dancing, jogging and golfing many times will cause it.

How a Morton’s Toe, causes March Fractures

A Morton’s Toe, (Long Second Toe) means having either had a short or hypermobile first metatarsal bone. If you have a either of these problems, the poor lesser metatarsal bone, especially the second, has a lot more stress and strain put on it than the normal foot would have because the first metatarsal bone is not working right. Imagine you have a Morton’s Toe, and you are constantly going on long marches with a 60 pound pack on your back. Soon or later there is a good chance that the poor unfortunate second metatarsal bone would break from the constant stress put upon it.

Dr. Schuler says

“After 35 years of treating these problems as a foot doctor, I absolutely believe that military men/women, who get March fractures, also have a Morton’s Toe, (Long Second Toe) the vast majority of time.”

“I would bet anything that if the x-rays were re-examined of the men, who got a March fracture it would show that the majority of them also had a Morton’s Toe. It would be of great benefit to our armed forces for the military doctors to consider this relationship between the first metatarsal bone and march fracture, and treat it before it happens”

Schuler goes on to say

If they did, two things would occur:

1. the number of march fractures would drop markedly and

2. all of the thousands and thousands of cases of various foot, back, leg, neck, and hip problems associated with the Morton’s Toe would also decrease, saving our country millions of dollars spent in treating members of our armed forces”

Finally Dr. Schuler says

“I can prove it. Does every GI, airmen, seamen or marine get a march fracture after going on repeated 60 miles hikes with full gear”?

OF COURSE NOT !!

Then why do some do? The answer is because they either have had a short or hypermobile first metatarsal bone (Morton’s Toe,). It is that simple. The good news is these problems can be prevented with a simple pad inside the shoe, first written about in 1927

More About The Morton’s Toe, and Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot

In the 1920′s and 1930″s Dr. Dudley J. Morton of Yale Medical School and Columbia Medical School wrote that a problem with the 1st metatarsal bone, known as a Morton’s Toe could be the reason for most foot problems. Dr. Janet Travel, White House physician to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University took this concept further by writing and teaching that the Morton’s Toe could cause pain all over your body. She wrote and taught for four decades that a Morton’s Toe could cause back, hip, knee, leg foot and ankles problems. She felt that the Morton’s Toe, was so important that at the age of 89 she made a video tape to teach other physicians about how to recognize it and how to treat it.

Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot tells the story of these two famous physicians and their association with the common, but painful, medical condition known as the Morton’s Toe. Millions of people suffer everyday with chronic aches and pains from head to toe and don’t know why. Many of them have lost all hope, and believe they will have to live with these pains for the rest of their lives. The book is significant because for the first time in seventy years the public is made aware of the importance of the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) , and the fact that could be the real unidentified reason (the “medical missing link”) for their unending torments. This book will also show how Morton’s Toe can also cause fibromyalgia, arthritis, sleep disturbances (RLS), temporomandibular joint pain, and numerous other problems through out the body The good news is that all of these problems can be treated with a simple pad that costs about two to three dollars. The bad news is that in spite of the fact that two of the most famous doctors of the twentieth century were behind the Morton’s Toe, most modern day physicians are not aware of Morton’s Toe or of it ability of causing pain all over the body. This book took six years to research and write, but Dr. Schuler feels it was worth it because it should be able to help many people get out of pain. The book is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group. It will be translated to Greek this Year.

About the Author: Dr. Burton S. Schuler foot doctor, foot specialist, podiatrist of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center and is a leading authority on the Morton’s Toe, Long Second Toe and it associated problems. He is the author of the newly published book about The Morton’s Toe, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In the Foot The book is published by the La Luz Press, Inc and is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group. Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, is the story of how one bone in your foot could be the real reason for pains thru out your whole body. It is important because it offer the public new information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains, and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. It literally can be the “medical missing link”

Dr. Schuler, graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since. In 1982, he published his first book, The Agony of De-Feet: A Podiatrist Guide to Foot Care. During his thirty-five year professional career, he has written for Collier’s Encyclopedia and various podiatric journals and publications. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, First in Women, and other publications. Dr. Schuler has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs both here and aboard. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and the National Board of Podiatric Examiners. Dr. Schuler is certified as a wound specialist from the American Academy of Wound Management. His professional and civic accomplishments have earned his inclusion in the 1999-2002 Who’s Who in America (Marquis).

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A  foot doctor, who specializes in a foot care,   foot specialist (Podiatrist), of Panama City Fl, Dr. Burton S. Schuler is a leading expert on the medical condition known as the Morton’s Toe. He is the author of the new book about the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe), Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot. He feels that knee pain is often caused by the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe). Schulers  feel that the Morton’s Toe, (Long Second Toe) is among the most overlooked reasons for why one gets pain in and around the knee joint., because it causes  one to need advanded foot care

Dr. Schuler says:

“Knee pain is a form of arthritis that is often caused by a Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) Over a period of years, due to pronation, a Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) can cause many abnormal strains to the knee joint, resulting in many painful problems. This wear and tear inside the knee joint causes a breakdown of the joint cartilage to occur, but it can all start from improper foot care ”.

Dr. Schuler further states:
“Knee pains can also be caused by the irritation of the muscles around the knee. It is well established that Morton’s Toe can be an underlying cause for these painful muscle problem by causing a condition known as Myofascial Pain Syndrome. In this condition, any muscle in the body, including the ones around the knee, can be aggravated and become very painful. Exactly the Gluteus Minimus and the Vastus Medialis muscles are responsible for this problem around the knee. The good news most of these knee problems, can be treated easily with a simple toe pad”