A toe tendon connects the muscles of the foot to the individual bones of the toes. Some toes share tendons, limiting the amount of individual movement any single toe has. Tendons will protect themselves from injury by shutting down the muscle to which they are attached. Toe tendons take a lot of punishment from high or tight shoes. Strength training and stretching will benefit tendons along with muscles.
Tendons are dense, connective tissues that attach muscles to bone. They are not as soft as muscle or as hard as bone, so they work well with both. Tendons help support and stabilize muscles and are in fact woven into the muscle fibers. Little sensory nerves called Golgi tendon organs can sense tension from sudden action or repetitive use. To protect itself from injury, the tendon will cause the muscle it is attached to relax or give out as an involuntary reaction.
The muscles and tendons of the feet have to work hard to support the body’s weight. A toe tendon attaches to the long bones of the toes and helps stabilize overall balance. Some toes share flexor tendons that go across several bones rather than along the length of the foot. This is the reason humans cannot move an individual toe independently of the others.
A toe tendon can be strained just as a muscle can. Ill-fitting shoes and bad posture can put unnecessary pressure on the individual toe tendons. Shoes that compress the toes, like dress shoes, or that put more weight on the toes, like high heels, can irritate the muscles and tendons of the whole foot, tiring the toe tendons and the Achilles tendon in the heel.
A weight-bearing exercise that strengthens a muscle also strengthens the tendons attached to the muscle. When tendons are stronger, they thicken and can handle more pressure. A person with strong muscles and tendons can handle physical stresses and sudden movements with less risk of injury. Like muscles, tendons can tighten and shrink from inactivity. A good stretching program will keep tendons and muscles limber.