The foot's design is complex and specialised to manage the forces generated by bearing the weight of the body and by the need to propel the body in gait. The talus is at the apex of the main longitudinal foot arch and is held firmly by the ankle mortise. The largest arch is the lengthways or medial arch of the foot which manages the forces involved in moving the body and standing, the spring ligament contributing to this by storing and releasing the energies involved. The outside or lateral arch is less obvious as is the transverse arch at the front of the foot.
The foot is a propulsion and support system for the body's weight and without the arches it would be unable to undertake this role with the dynamism required. The energy generated by the acts of walking or running are absorbed and then released as the gait cycle is completed. On observing a person walking with painful and flat feet the gait is clearly clumsy and the feet inflexible platforms, unable to adapt to the changing surfaces and forces transmitted through the feet. Healthy arches are crucial to maintain comfort and mobility as we age.
The foot has two functions to perform: to cope with and distribute the weight of the body which is often multiplied by movement and to generate propulsive forces to push off in walking. The foot arches are partly maintained by the calf muscles previously mentioned in an article about the ankle, but also by the muscles controlling the toes. The long flexor muscles of the toes also start in the calf and run under the sole to the forefoot and toes, curling the toes or gripping the ground. The short flexor muscles, which start in the feet and again go to the toes, are known as the intrinsic muscles and work by pressing the toes down into the surface but without bending them.
If the foot hits the ground in a person with a highly functional foot the heel will contact the surface first and slightly on the lateral side. The foot rolls forward as the talus rocks inside the ankle mortise and weight begins to be taken by the arches with the joints and ligaments absorbing the stresses. The weight transfers gradually over to the inside and through the first and second metatarsal heads until the foot pushes off partly with the power of the toes muscles.
Each moving joint in our body has a degree of accessory movements in it, which are limited and subtle internal movements between joint surfaces which cannot be exhibited in isolation. A normal joint depends to some degree on the accessory movements present within the joint and if these are lost or reduced the joint's function is compromised. A high number of intricately designed foot bones are packed into a small area, creating the arches, and all these bones have highly functional accessory movements between them.
As the body weight starts to be borne on the foot the arches begin to suffer a flattening effect which is countered by the calf and toe muscle strength and the ligamentous elasticity and tension. As the gait cycle approaches the push off point the arches are supported against the weight by the toes gripping the ground, the energetic ligament recoil and the muscular sling support provided by the calf muscles. As walking proceeds the arches heighten and lower in a cyclical movement during which the complex multiple joint complexes of the arches exhibit continual accessory movement between all the bones.
The individual foot bones need to be able to all move independently, opening out underneath as the pressure is applied and closing up in the upper surfaces. The bones must be able to adjust themselves as the foot spreads to accommodate itself to the surface, allowing a dynamic readjustment to constant changing ground conditions. If some of the accessory movement range is lost the foot loses some of its plastic adaptability as it becomes a rigid prop for bearing body weight and gives up its comfortable propulsive role. - 14130
The foot is a propulsion and support system for the body's weight and without the arches it would be unable to undertake this role with the dynamism required. The energy generated by the acts of walking or running are absorbed and then released as the gait cycle is completed. On observing a person walking with painful and flat feet the gait is clearly clumsy and the feet inflexible platforms, unable to adapt to the changing surfaces and forces transmitted through the feet. Healthy arches are crucial to maintain comfort and mobility as we age.
The foot has two functions to perform: to cope with and distribute the weight of the body which is often multiplied by movement and to generate propulsive forces to push off in walking. The foot arches are partly maintained by the calf muscles previously mentioned in an article about the ankle, but also by the muscles controlling the toes. The long flexor muscles of the toes also start in the calf and run under the sole to the forefoot and toes, curling the toes or gripping the ground. The short flexor muscles, which start in the feet and again go to the toes, are known as the intrinsic muscles and work by pressing the toes down into the surface but without bending them.
If the foot hits the ground in a person with a highly functional foot the heel will contact the surface first and slightly on the lateral side. The foot rolls forward as the talus rocks inside the ankle mortise and weight begins to be taken by the arches with the joints and ligaments absorbing the stresses. The weight transfers gradually over to the inside and through the first and second metatarsal heads until the foot pushes off partly with the power of the toes muscles.
Each moving joint in our body has a degree of accessory movements in it, which are limited and subtle internal movements between joint surfaces which cannot be exhibited in isolation. A normal joint depends to some degree on the accessory movements present within the joint and if these are lost or reduced the joint's function is compromised. A high number of intricately designed foot bones are packed into a small area, creating the arches, and all these bones have highly functional accessory movements between them.
As the body weight starts to be borne on the foot the arches begin to suffer a flattening effect which is countered by the calf and toe muscle strength and the ligamentous elasticity and tension. As the gait cycle approaches the push off point the arches are supported against the weight by the toes gripping the ground, the energetic ligament recoil and the muscular sling support provided by the calf muscles. As walking proceeds the arches heighten and lower in a cyclical movement during which the complex multiple joint complexes of the arches exhibit continual accessory movement between all the bones.
The individual foot bones need to be able to all move independently, opening out underneath as the pressure is applied and closing up in the upper surfaces. The bones must be able to adjust themselves as the foot spreads to accommodate itself to the surface, allowing a dynamic readjustment to constant changing ground conditions. If some of the accessory movement range is lost the foot loses some of its plastic adaptability as it becomes a rigid prop for bearing body weight and gives up its comfortable propulsive role. - 14130
About the Author:
Jonathan Blood Smyth, editor of the Physiotherapy Site, writes articles about Physiotherapists, physiotherapy, physiotherapists in Birmingham, back pain, orthopaedic conditions, neck pain and injury management. Jonathan is a superintendant physiotherapist at an NHS hospital in the South-West of the UK.
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