Your Big Toe May Reveal a Surprising Clue About Your Pelvic Floor Health, Experts Say
Doctors weigh in on the viral video that took social media by storm
Key Takeaways
- Toe and pelvic floor muscles work together in the same support chain in your body.
- A weak, stiff big toe may signal a too-tight—not too-weak—pelvic floor.
- More Kegels aren’t always the fix; tight pelvic floors need release, not more clenching.
When Jana Danielson, a pelvic floor expert, posted a video on social media called “Death Begins in Your Big Toe,” it racked up more than 12 million views. Her theory: “Your big toe is the furthest geographical point from your heart, and when circulation is poor, you will feel it here first!” The video certainly got people talking, specifically about a magical connection between toe health and pelvic floor strength. Can these two seemingly unrelated body parts really influence each other? We reached out to experts to find out.
What are your pelvic floor muscles?
Your pelvic floor is a collection of small muscles, ligaments and tissue that sits like a protective nest at the bottom of the pelvic region to support organs including the bladder, uterus and vagina. And like any other muscles in the body, they run the risk of overtraining, weakness or injury.
Pelvic floor dysfunction is more common than you think
One in three women is affected by pelvic floor dysfunction in their life, according to New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dysfunction can be caused by injury, trauma, pregnancy or age. Yes, pelvic floor dysfunction rises after menopause too. Having either a too-tight pelvic floor or a too-weak pelvic floor can cause issues. Those problems range from urinary incontinence (like peeing when you sneeze) to more serious organ prolapse. Now, let’s get back to the toe connection…
The link between your toes and pelvic floor health
Bhimi Daimari, MBBS, an obstetrician and gynecologist practicing in India, says, “The big toe and the pelvic floor are not directly linked by one muscle or nerve, but they work in the same chain that keeps us upright.” Danielson agrees, saying, “Your feet and your pelvic floor are in constant conversation.”
“Your musculoskeletal system is a complex network connecting different body parts, so it isn’t uncommon for one group of muscles to influence the other,” adds Luxmi Velauthar, MD, medical director at Gynaecology Clinic London. She cites a 2015 study identifying a relationship between voluntarily flexing the big toe and the reflex for the anal sphincter to contract. All this to say: Everything is connected.
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What a weak big toe might signal about your pelvic floor health
“On its own, it doesn’t diagnose a pelvic floor problem,” Dr. Daimari says. “But poor toe and arch strength often goes along with weak hip and core muscles, poor balance and a less stable posture, and these can make it harder for the pelvic floor to respond quickly when you cough, sneeze, jump or lift.” As a result, we get urinary leaks. So weakness, she says, “is better seen as one clue that the whole support system may need strengthening.”
Why doing more kegels might make it worse
Weakness isn’t the only pelvic floor problem that we can troubleshoot. “Here’s the part that surprises people,” says Danielson. “When I see a weak, stiff big toe, I’m usually looking at a pelvic floor that’s too tight, not too weak.”
Danielson explains, “Most of us stand with our weight pitched way forward. Our toes grip, our calves lock up, and our pelvic floor clenches right along with them. So a woman laughs and leaks, assumes she’s weak and does more Kegels. That just adds more tension to a body that’s already holding on for dear life.” She adds, “gripping toes, bunions, fallen arches, cold feet and that ‘I’ve just never had good balance’ feeling are often the first signs” of a too-tight pelvic floor.
A pelvic floor exercise you can try right now
If you sense you may have a too-tight pelvic floor, try this self-test to recognize and release over-clenching. “Stand with 60 percent of your weight back in your heels, keep your toes relaxed and breathe low into your belly for a couple of minutes,” Danielson says. “A lot of women feel their pelvic floor let go for the first time in years.”
More inspiration: “Adding simple foot work—toe spreading, big toe presses, balancing on one leg—can be a useful part of a whole-body routine,” Dr. Daimari adds. But she cautions, “Anyone with leaking urine, a heavy or dragging feeling in the vagina or pain should see a doctor rather than rely on exercises alone.”
What about pelvic floor therapy? When to see a specialist
Identifying the problem—whether your muscles are too tight or too weak—is key. So reach out to an expert for clarity. Alexia Smith, PT, DPT, a pelvic floor physical therapist at Revitalized Performance in New Hampshire, explains, “Big toe function helps stabilize pelvic floor contraction, and big toe clenching can overcompensate with over contraction of the pelvic floor.” A trained pelvic floor therapist can teach you exercises to relax or strengthen those hidden muscles.
Here’s a real-life example: When nerves running from the foot through the back of the leg get tense or compressed, the bladder can get the signal to contract. “We see urgency and people getting up at night to pee,” Smith says. In fact, a 2005 study in Urology that examined women with stress urinary incontinence found ankle position altered pelvic floor muscle activity. That’s why in her treatment, she often uses a TENS device on ankles to treat this particular pelvic floor issue.
More research is still needed
Like a lot of things in women’s health, more data is needed. “What I’d tell women: The research here is still early, so a strong big toe is not a cure for leaking or prolapse,” Dr. Daimari says. “The proven treatment is pelvic floor muscle training, ideally taught by a pelvic floor physiotherapist.”
The bottom line
While it’s no crystal ball, our toe strength can hint at a lot of things in our overall health. “I do think it is a useful reminder that pelvic health is not confined to the pelvis, so sometimes, understanding how a woman stands, walks and distributes her weight tells us something important about how her pelvic floor is functioning,” Dr. Velauthar concludes.
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