The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Injuries › Big Toe skin issue
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Hi there,
A question for you all:
Have you ever had the skin on the bottom of your big toes split or tear?
I just took my fourth hot yoga class today. I’m a Kripalu yoga teacher, so I know my position in the poses isn’t the problem.
The problem is that my poor big toes get too much friction.
I added a Yogitoes towel during my 3rd class.
This helped a lot, but today, even using the towel, the skin just tore away and there I was bleeding my way through class!
I’ve found some waterproof band-aids which just might hold up through my next class, I hope. 🙁
Has anyone experienced this? Have any suggestions to help this heal quickly?
Thanks!Howdy Newtohotyoga
Yes that has happened to me! I wonder if it is about skin losing its waterproofing qualities and becoming more susceptible to shearing forces. You know, when you sit in a bath for a while and your skin softens or wrinkles. The resilience reduces, but comes back when it dries out again.
It has been particularly bad at times when the carpet has been really rough (even a hard rough surface through the mat). It is quite painful in my experience especially when the carpet or towel pulls on a tag of skin.
It may also be indicative that you are using your big toes too much in some of the poses. Sometimes people put too much weight into their toes for several poses where they are not needed or not needed much. If you think that could be an issue give me your thoughts about which poses you feel aggravate your toes and we can take it from there.
Band-aids do NOT help because at some stage the sweat makes them come off. The only thing that I have found helped is spray on bandages where the skin stays waterproof at the site of the application.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thank you, Gabrielle!
Fortunately, I read your post before I left for my class this morning. Fortunately, we actually had some “liquid bandage” stuff in the medicine cabinet. And, most importantly, it really helped.
This morning, I was very aware of how much I use my toes in class. Today I concentrated on keeping the big toes relatively inactive and relying on the balls of my feet. The poses where the toes seem to get very involved are definitely during the chaturanga/updog/downdog sequence that is done over and over in my hot yoga class. It’s challenging for me to move to quickly anyway. The pace of the class if much quicker than I’m used to. I’m working hard to keep up.
Keeping my awareness on using the rest of my feet, and not just the toes, probably prevented some more ripping. 🙂
Do you have any suggestions or info about where the feet should be during the sequence I mentioned? The teacher says roll on the toes to get from asana to asana.
Thanks again!
Hi Newtohotyoga
Well that is a toughie, because for those pose sequences you do use your toes a lot! And while your feet are healing you may feel the need to avoid further damaging them. So rather than rolling, maybe try lifting your feet up and deliberately placing them down so you can avoid the shearing stresses. That ripping of the skin just hurts, doesn’t it?
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂I had this problem and managed to fix it. To prevent the skin on my toes from spitting, I’m very careful on how I transition from upward dog to downward dog. There are two ways I can do this: 1) with lots of tension in the mat, I push with my arms, brace with my toes, and my bum pops up, and 2) with zero tension in the mat, I crunch with my abs. With the first method, I can do one or maybe two 20-minute yoga workouts before my toes split, but with the second method, I have no problems with my toes. My advice: when transitioning into the downward dog, imagine your feet are on coasters, free to slide all over the place, this will force you to use different muscles that you’re use to, probably more appropriate ones, and this will create way less stress on your toes.
Disclaimer: I am only a beginning student of yoga and know nearly nothing of the practice. I just feel that this little bit of knowledge I have will help others out there.
Great advice NewBe01, thank you. Using core strength is the way to make your body lighter and take the stress/weight off the toes. Regardless of your yoga experience (ie time spent!) your intuition and awareness are as good as that of any seasoned yogi!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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