How I cured my adult pigeon toe
When I was a kid I had really knobbly knees and serious pigeon toe (pen toe, in-toeing and other names). My brother still laughs at this photo!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGqNNiCLF-prM2qz0ghka-nSnuHXMmqY77EzY44va7x4EXg6ucUGTkIlaLc_xP5WihdDfmWAgm2Vbi6r4rfRGbHzc5QbiYm21NUMMkb6Vir6fIICu618Y5E-CM-51vzrZtCOD6aK6PgI/s200/pigeon+toes.jpg)
I was on a first aid course and the instructor explained that when rolling older people in to the recovery position that you should be aware that they may have stiff joints. The instructor kindly 'volunteered' me to be his casualty. Embarrassingly, the instructor proclaimed that my shoulder joints were so stiff that rigor mortis had set in and this casualty must be beyond saving!
I have always been sporty and play Ice Hockey, hit the gym etc and regularly do stretching. I was browsing the net and found a workout site called Crossfit where they publish a WOD (workout of the day) and I also found my way to an associated site called mobility WOD. http://www.mobilitywod.com/ . This is a great blog by a physical therapist which aims to optimise joint mobility for sports. Given the embarassment at the First Aid course this greatly appealed to me!
I followed this general advice and made good improvements. After just a couple of weeks my mickey taking brother coincidentally laughed 'remember how pen toed you used to be?' and I replied 'still am!' he said 'no you are not'. After a few basic walking tests and a mobile phone video recording I realised that my pigeon toe had completely gone!
Here is what I did and didn't do
I owe the improvements to working on mobility of my hip joints and specifically by working on external hip rotation. Stretching (15 years of trying) doesn't have the same benefits because it only focuses on tight muscles rather than fix all the joint structures that might be limiting range of motion. Yoga never realy appealed to me and I don't have time to commit to going to a class or going through an entire DVD which just have no variety of exercises and become repetitive anyway.
At some point through the day spend a few minutes on one upper body mobiliser and a few minutes on one lower body mobiliser. I do a quick mobility routine after I work out and I might do something extra if I've got muscle soreness. This has unlocked my joints and I got lots of other benefits.
My shoulder flexibility has improved and I can now sleep with my arm up under my head like I used to when I was a kid. That is my most comfortable sleeping position for me and I drift off really quickly.
I spend a lot of time at my desk and I drive about 25,000 miles a year for work and I used to get stiffness and soreness in my hips and back. Since I've been following this really simple routine that has gone away too!
For pigeon toe
If you are pigeon toed then work on external hip rotation. Using mobility training it literally unlocked my hip joint. I thought my range of movement was fine because I was always stretching and I assumed that the limits of the range of motion was literally the bone on bone limits of the joint structure. I was pleasently proved very wrong!
I always thought that my shin bone was twisted too much and this was the cause of my pigeon too. Again happy to have been proved wrong!
Techniques and equipment
I also use practice lacrosse balls for sore spots and loosening sliding surfaces of muscle and connective tissue (sounds complicated but this is simply what massage does!). These lacrosse balls are the right amount of firm but not hard and they have a grippy surface which helps them do their job.
You could also check out trigger point therapy ifyou have ongoing issues / painful spots http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point. This stuff is magic on the sore spot I still get in the hamstring that I tore back in 2007!
Check out the direct links to the cheapest and best stuff I could find. Hope it helps you out too!
Any chance you could share your specific plan for opening your hips? I too have pigeon-toe (I'm a 28 year-old female), and thought I was just stuck with it for life. I googled "exercises for pigeon-toe in adults" and your blog came up first. Thanks for any help you can provide!
ReplyDeleteYa! I would like to see your plan, I thought that's why you were writing this but I was confused on why you didn't share it?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI also would love to know your specific plan. I at 66 just became left foot pigeon toed as a result of a back problem partially due to tight hip flexors.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy son has this issue and I would like to help - however, the links to the right of your article do not work, maybe because this article is archived now(??). Can you send me the links originally posted...
ReplyDeletenever mind - it was the browser. IE-10 didn't like it. Firefox works great.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't get the links to show up with any browser. But looking at the source code for the site, it's this book (this is the second edition; original link was for the first edition):
ReplyDeleteBecoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett
https://smile.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837
hi i have a twisted shin pigeon toe defect, so do you know what i can do to fix it? i know its a it late but i need hope.
ReplyDeleteThere is a safe & effective Natural Herbal Medicine. For Total Cure Call +2349010754824, or email him drrealakhigbe@gmail.com For an Appointment with (Dr.) AKHIGBE contact him. Treatment with Natural Herbal Cure. For:Dengue Fever, Malaria. Painful or Irregular Menstruation. HIV/Aids. Diabetics. Vaginal Infections. Vaginal Discharge. Itching Of the Private Part. Breast Infection. Discharge from Breast. Breast Pain & Itching. Lower Abdominal Pain. No Periods or Periods Suddenly Stop. Women Sexual Problems. High Blood Pressure Chronic Disease. Pain during Sex inside the Pelvis. Pain during Urination. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, (PID). Dripping Of Sperm from the Vagina As Well As for Low sperm count. Parkinson disease. Obesity, Lupus. Soreness/Injury Cancer. Tuberculosis. Zero sperm count. Bacteria, Impotence Fertility,Protoplasmic, Diarrhea. Hepatitis A&B, Rabies. Asthma. Quick Ejaculation. Gallstone, Cystic Fibrosis, Schizophrenia, Crubs, Cirrhosis, Premature Ejaculation. Herpes. Joint Pain. Stroke. Cornelia Disease, Weak Erection. Ovarian problem, HeartBurn, Erysipelas, Thyroid, Relapsing polychondritis, Discharge from Penis. Bronchial Problem, HPV. Hepatitis A and B. STD. Smallpox, Staphylococcus + Gonorrhea + Syphilis. Heart Disease. Pile-Hemorrhoid.rheumatism, Impotence, thyroid, Autism, Depression, Sepsis Bacteria, Penis enlargement, Prostate Problem, Waist & Back Pain. Male Infertility and Female Infertility. Etc. Take Action Now. contact him & Order for your Natural Herbal Medicine: +2349010754824 and email him drrealakhigbe@gmail.com Note For an Appointment with (Dr.) AKHIGBE.I suffered in Cancer for a year and three months dying in pain and full of heartbreak. One day I was searching through the internet and I came across a testimony of herpes cure by doctor Akhigbe. So I contacted him to try my luck, we talked and he sent me the medicine through courier service and with instructions on how to be drinking it.To my greatest surprise drinking the herbal medicine within three weeks I got the changes and I was cured totally. I don't really know how it happens but there is power in Dr Akhigbe herbal medicine. He is a good herbalist doctor.
ReplyDelete