How Do My Feet Put Up With Me All Day Long

Think about your favorite feet for a minute. Imagine how much weight they are expected to carry just to allow you to stand. Then consider the weight within the foot in order to walk or run. Your feet are marvelous! Think about it. Your feet have to carry around your bodyweight the entire day. In some cases they carry your body mass in one spot as you stand, sometimes they allow you to walk and occasionally they allow you to jog and jump. In addition they are required to do all of this with no complaining. The foot is a actually a machine with joints, belts and pulleys (bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments). The correct working of the foot will depend on the exact coordination of all these components. This article will focus on the function of the arch of the foot. The arch pertains to the bones in the mid-foot area. The bones and joints of the arch have the ability to lock and unlock. This is extremely important because as the foot initially strikes the ground these bones unlock and enable the foot to adjust to diverse surfaces and to absorb shock. Then prior to when you prepare to lift the foot up and move forward the bones of the arch relock to make the foot rigid so you can get a good push-off from the ground. Pain-free and efficient strolling and running rely upon the foot’s ability to relock the bones of the arch at the conclusion of the step.

Why Arches Fall

If the muscles, ligaments and tendons that support the arch do not function in the right way then the arch itself is not able to function effectively. If the tendons and ligaments get excessively stretched and strained from years of misuse (excess body weight, standing for long stretches, years of jogging) they start to lose their capacity to support the arch. The result is a condition recognized as fallen arches.

Why ThePain

Why do fallen arches result in problems? If the foot continues to be flat throughout the stride this indicates that the relocking of the joints of the mid-foot doesn’t occur. Because of this the foot is unable to act as a solid push-off tool while walking. The muscles of the leg have to compensate for the ineffective foot function. The muscles of the lower leg have to work over-time because they do not have the capability to use an important tool (the firm foot) to help move the body along. It is no wonder that somebody with fallen arches commonly complains of aching, fatigued muscles at the end of the day. Along with leg pain, a failed arch may also result in heel pain. If the ligaments on the bottom of the foot (plantar surface) are over-stretched, the location on the heel where these ligaments attach become inflamed and sore. This is called plantar fasciitis.

The Foot Bone Connected To The Leg Bone

More often then not , whenever one joint of the body is dysfunctional, the other joints of the body may be negatively impacted. Problems with the arch of the foot often lead to problems with the ankle joint, the knee, hip and joints of the low back. These joints need to make up for the fallen arch and this compensation puts the joints at risk for developing osteoarthritis. As an example, the correct functioning of the knee joint requires that the two compartments with the knee take equal percentage of the load. When the knee is compensating for the ankle joint that is out of alignment, one side of the knee is taking nearly all of the load. This overloads the cartilage on this section of the knee placing the person at risk for developing osteo-arthritis. On top of that the unbalanced knee joint leads to abnormal tension in the tendons and ligaments that support the knee. This leads to tendonitis, bursitis and increases the danger of knee instability. An interesting article on the relationship between flat feet and knee pain can be discovered here.

Arch Supports For Fallen Arches

It is really important to treat fallen arches to relieve the foot pain and decrease the risk for developing knee, hip and low back pain as well. Most individuals are pleasantly surprised when they discover that the solution is hassle-free, cost-effective and does not necessitate prescription drugs or an operation. A simple arch support that is made to support the foot in what is called the neutral position (the position where the foot and ankle joint are perfectly aligned) will relieve the foot pain and keep the foot from leading to imbalance of the knee, hip and low back. In addition the ideal arch support will permit the bones of the mid-foot to unlock and allow for some shock absorption at the same time allowing the bones of the mid-foot to relock and create an effective lever arm. Unfortunately many people with fallen arches suffer unnecessarily because they are unaware that the solution is easy and reasonably priced. If somebody you know has foot, knee, hip or low back pain as a result of flat feet or a collapsed arch, please strongly encourage them to go to a foot care expert to discuss how a custom arch support may alleviate their condition.

Inexpensive Arch Supports For Fallen Arches Can Be Found Here