Biomechanics of the Foot When I first started out as a therapist, I wanted to be a hand therapist. Hands are interesting and challenging. They are more glamorous than feet, plus they don’t smell bad, right? Then why am I interested in feet? When I learned to humble myself a little, I realized I should treat whomever God sends to me and I set my sights on learning more about he foot, leg and back. I was pretty confused about it until I went to a seminar on the foot and ankle in Philadelphia this past April. There I met Dr. Josh Bailey of Lynchburg, Virginia. He had studied the foot and ankle for 12 years and achieved a doctorate in physical therapy about this subject. His father had a bad ankle fracture and as a young boy witnessed his dad’s therapy and decided thread n then he was going to be an expert on the foot and ankle. It is a good lesson in how to become successful at something. In a way, it is a great American story. Josh opened my eyes to what needs to be done to rehabilitate these foot and ankle problems. I also learned how the foot and ankle affect the knees, hips and back and vice versa. The foot is really an amazing structure biomechanically. The ankle and foot must adjust to the terrain to maintain balance. The arch of the foot is maintained by muscles and connective tissue in the foot, ankle and calf and to some degree by the gluteal muscles in the buttocks. That was an eye opener for me. I still have a hard time explaining that by strengthening the butt muscles can help the arch in the foot. But it gets results, and eventually people see how it works. The posterior tibialis muscle and tendon support the arch of the foot. When you have flat feet or get shin splints, the weakness of this muscle can cause the problem and it can be strengthened as well which helps. (please see illustration.) Drawing of a posterior tibial tendon Most importantly he taught me a functional approach to orthotics, because, believe it or not, the orthotic should be comfortable. One patient informed me the orthotics we made for her were her third pair and the first that were comfortable and relieved her pain. Knowing you have the knowledge to truly help another person get rid of their pain and walk normally is the most gratifying of all. I need to put bread on the table and earn a living, but it is really helping others and striving to do the best you can that gets you out of bed in the morning. So if you have heard it all before and can’t imagine discovering solutions to your foot knee, hip or back pain, I am asking you to reopen your mind to the possibility you can get rid of your problems. There are several ways you can see me: 1. Call and schedule a free screening. I’ll give you 15 minutes and let you know if there is anything I can do. 2. Call your doctor, nurse practitioner or physicians assistant and ask for an order to see me. I’ll give you a full evaluation and develop a plan to help you. If you have foot, knee, hip or back pain or numbness, consider therapy first. Call TriState Hand, Foot and Ankle Therapy at 301-759-4263 and get started on getting your problem handled. It just might surprise you! |
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