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If you’re on your feet all day or suffer from conditions like bunions, plantar fasciitis or other similar foot problems, you’ve probably tried a variety of ways to alleviate the pain and discomfort.
If you haven’t found a solution to your issues, you may want to try a toe-stretching device called YogaToes Gems. The “gems” work by strengthening weak toes, thereby relieving pain and foot issues. They are sold on Amazon for $29.95 and come in a two-pack — one for each foot. With close to 8,000 reviews, they have a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.
To use, you simply place them on your feet so that each gem is pushed between two toes to separate them. They slip on easily, but you can also run them under water to make the gels easier to glide into the spaces between your toes. Then, just sit back and relax while the separators do their work.
I don’t suffer from foot problems, but I decided to give the gels a shot to see how open my toes actually are, as I have always considered them to be quite open because of yoga, including foot yoga. Similar to how the gels work, one common yoga pose for your feet involves threading your fingers between your toes and either holding them there for as long as you can stand it or bending your toes backward and forward.
While there’s no doubt my toes are more open than someone who doesn’t watch TV with their fingers in their toes, they were clearly not as open as I thought they were. The brand suggests you start by leaving the gems in place for 15 minutes, and I decided to leave them in place until I started to feel a stretch. It took about 30 minutes before I felt anything, but when I did, I really did.
I removed them after 30 minutes the first night, then went to 45 minutes the second night. By the third day, I was at an hour and ended up with cramps in both feet that night. I did an hour again the following night and now, two weeks later with daily use, I am at 90 minutes and no more foot cramps.
I don’t see a physical difference in that my toes don’t look like they’re spaced any farther apart than they used to be, though I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens with more use. Some reviewers noticed this change, but it likely depends on how open your toes already were. My toes are certainly more mobile than they’ve ever been and foot yoga pretty much feels like nothing now.
I have also noticed that my balance has been slightly better lately while on my yoga mat. Considering I haven’t changed anything else, I believe the gems are the reason.
I can’t comment on whether these work for bunions or other foot problems, but they definitely stretch and separate your toes. This can lead to a few foot cramps at first, but it should ultimately alleviate pain.
And if they really don’t work for you, there is a 100% money-back guarantee, so you can send them back.
All in all, I would recommend these for pretty much anyone, even if you don’t have foot issues. You may be surprised at how much better your feet feel after using them.
Do you suffer from foot pain?
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