Happy Feet
The foot and ankle joints are structures which are often looked at in an over-simplified manner. They are the foundation to everything that sits above them - ie. the ENTIRE BODY!
The feet in particular become problematic in many people as they get older if inadequate care and management is taken day-to-day.
We spend countless hours on our feet, and we use them constantly without thought. Understanding your feet will quite literally give you a solid foundation for knowing what’s happening in the rest of your body.
The foot can be broken into 3 sections:
1. The forefoot
19 bones including the toes and 5 long metatarsals which connects to the mid foot
2. The midfoot
5 bones in the mid foot (shaped like a pyramid) which make up our arches
Our arches are the first point of contact for shock absorption within the foot and the rest of the body
3. The hindfoot
Bordered at the top by the ankle joint (where the tibia and fibula of the lower leg, meets the talus of the foot)
Also comprises the subtalar joint - the pesky joint which becomes responsible for rolling your ankle
The structure of the foot is designed for malleability and shock absorption. Before shoes, we were walking around barefoot over rugged terrain without any issue. The introduction of shoes saw our feet become imprisoned in rigid jail cells resulting in inflexible and unyielding feet. What once was a trampoline at the bottom of each leg, quickly became something similar to a slab of cement. Shock absorption and malleability of the feet is paramount. This is what we should all be striving for on a daily basis. We will cover how to achieve this over the coming weeks.
The ankle, or the talocrural joint:
A mortise joint being comprised of 3 bones (tibia, fibula & the talus).
Only hinge-type movement is available at the ankle joint meaning it only has one direction of movement - flexion & extension.
Ligaments either side of the joint provide stability - these are often the culprits of a sore ankle after rolling or spraining it
When the ankle becomes stiff it has a huge effect within the rest of the lower extremity. Often in people who suffer from knee or hip pain, will have an underlying restriction in their ankle joint. More of this over the coming weeks.
The Osteopathic approach to any pain or dysfunction within the body will include an assessment of the feet regardless if the presentation is upper body, lower body or torso. One of our guiding philosophies as Osteopaths says “the body is a unit”. We need to embrace this, particularly when it comes to the often-ignored feet & ankles.
If you would like to find out more about how your feet may be affecting the mechanics within your body, get in contact with us or make an appointment. We would love to work with you!
