You know the saying 'small things that have a big impact?'. Well your foot position is one of those things. When you consider all of the weight of the body is transmitted from the ground up through the rest of the kinetic chain we realize how important it is to have a properly aligned and stable base. If that base is out of alignment the body will compensate at another joint or joints in order to get you from A to B.
When we take a step the foot pronates during ground contact. Sometimes the shoes we wear, the activities we do, whether we wrap or brace the ankle as well as previous injuries, will impact how our feet function. Imagine someone with a sprained ankle hobbling along with the toes touching the ground and the heel elevated. This compensatory movement pattern results in altered glute function and potential problems down the line long after the heel is 'better'. I say 'better' in quotes because as a society we believe the absence of pain indicates the problem was fixed. I'll save that for another article.
Carrying on with the concept of pronation though if the arch of the foot doesn't eccentrically load (think the arch will lower and stretch) then the body will seek out this motion elsewhere, usually at the hip or knee. This happens because as the foot pronates the tibia (lower leg) must internally rotate as well. A lack of pronation at the foot can lead to increased internal rotation of the tibia and potential problems at the knee.
So what is the solution? First of all grab a tennis ball and roll it under the feet one at a time for 30-60 s. Do each side a couple of times. Keep your feet mobile. Perform your dynamic warm-up without shoes to enhance the sensory feedback. Practice walking on the heels with the toes elevated, on the toes, on the outside of the feet and the inside as well.
You'll find that doing these simple and basic drills will improve the function of your feet, allow you to be more balanced and lessen the potential for strain and injury throughout the body.
Chris
The Easiest Way to Lesson Knee and Back Pain
