The Domino Effect of Collapsed Arches on the Kinetic Chain
Are weak foot muscles the root cause of your chronic pain? Find out what you can do!
At the base of your entire body, connecting you to the ground, your feet bear ALL the weight. Your feet and ankles are the foundation of strength throughout your entire body, as they supply support, balance, and mobility to the entire kinetic chain. But as with any muscle in the body, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.
Most modern exercise programs place little emphasis on conditioning the feet and few shoes are designed with functional movement in mind. This can cause restrictions in your foot biomechanics that result in collapsed arches and other painful foot disorders.
Our medical fitness experts share how weak foot muscles impact the whole body and what you can do to rehabilitate and strengthen your musculoskeletal system – one step at a time.
What is Foot Pronation?
Pronation refers to the natural movement of the foot while moving forward. It involves your ankle and the arch of your foot slightly tipping inward to absorb the shock of your foot hitting the ground. While pronation is essential for a healthy, functional gait, too much or too little can be a problem.
How is Overpronation a Problem?
Overpronation is a common issue that can lead to serial distortion throughout the body. It is typically present with a flat-footed appearance as a result of the ankle and foot collapsing inward.
Overpronation of the feet impacts the alignment of your knees and hips up to your shoulders.
If you have overpronation in your feet, your ankles can collapse inward, which can cause internal rotation and adduction of the knees, which is also known as “knock-kneed.” This internal rotation can move further up the body, showing up as poor alignment of the tibia, femur, and pelvis.
These changes can cause:
Strain on soft tissues, including the Achilles tendon, plantar fascia, patella tendon, and IT band
Pain in the subtalar joint, patellofemoral joint, tibiofemoral joint, iliofemoral joint, and sacroiliac joint
Increased lumbar curvature & back pain
What Can You Do to Restore Function to Your Feet?
When restoring function to flat feet because of overpronation, it’s important to address the underlying physiology throughout the body.
Muscles that become tight from pronation distortion syndrome include the:
Peroneals
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
IT-band
Hamstring
Adductor complex
Tensor Fascia latae
The muscles that are weakened and often inhibited are the:
Posterior tibialis
Anterior tibialis
Gluteus medius
Gluteus maximus
Following a rehabilitative program with Dynamic Fitness and Rehabilitation that activates the weakened muscles and restores proper mobility in tight muscles will improve serial distortion patterns that cause pain and immobility.
Other Methods to Eliminate Serial Distortion
There are many measures you can take to improve misalignments caused by foot imbalances.
Foot Levelers Stabilizing Orthotics
Stabilizing Orthotics can restore balance by providing a level foundation for movement. While supporting your arches, they reduce pressure points and improve your ankle alignment. This helps the foot move properly, ultimately restoring function and relieving pain throughout the body.
Targeted Exercise
Most people don’t think to train their feet when they step into the gym, but it’s one of the most important parts of the body to wake up and condition.
Toe yoga is an effective way to strengthen the tiny stabilizers within the toes and arches of the foot.
The goal of toe yoga is to move the big toe independently from the other four.
In a seated position with feet planted, focus on one foot at a time.
Lift your big toe and hold it for a few seconds while keeping the remaining toes on the ground.
Release the big toe and drive it into the ground while lifting the other four.
Alternate back and forth for 10 repetitions. Repeat on the other foot.
Muscle Activation Techniques
The underlying philosophy of Muscle Activation Techniques, or M.A.T., is to restore communication between the mind and muscles through gentle activation of the muscles.
When you work with our M.A.T. experts at Dynamic Fitness and Rehabilitation, we will wake up weak muscles in the feet and legs to mend the kinetic chain.
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Take a Step Toward Feeling Good with Dynamic Fitness and Rehabilitation
We rely on our feet to get us... well, anywhere. Problems in the feet and ankles can make it challenging to function in daily life, especially when they impact other parts of the body such as the knees and hips.
The good news is you don’t have to stay planted in a painful place with our fitness pros on your side. Book your evaluation at Dynamic Fitness and Rehabilitation to rediscover the joy of feeling good and moving with ease.