<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Summer is almost here so take your shoes off….go on…..now look at your feet for a moment….</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">how do they look to you? </span></p>
<p>Are your toes straight? </p>
<p>Does your big toe angle inwards like the shape of the shoes you wear?</p>
<p>Maybe your smaller digits roll under?</p>
<p>Do you see different skin textures caused by your footwear?</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The reasons they change from when we were young are....</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">We walk around on top of them, jump on them, run on then, maybe even swivel &amp; swerve on them!</span></li>
<li>They experience lots of different 'casts' we call shoes, that alter the space they move or 'train' in. </li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">They have SO MANY joints &amp; connective tissue structures inside them - 26 bones, 19 muscles, and 107 ligaments!!</span></li>
</ol>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is however important in terms of their contribution to the function of the gait cycle which we will explore here. The feet are often underestimated in their level of influence on the rest of the body.</span> </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The very complex nature of the foot's multiple joint surfaces &amp; combinations of planes of actions is why they are so wonderful yet can also be so problematic. So much </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">could</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> go wrong....both in ascending biomechanical influencers AND from descending biomechanical influencers.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here I would like to share with you a simplistic interpretation of foot function, in an effort to help us, help our clients. That said there is nothing more valuable to our businesses than relations with an open minded multidisciplinary team of practitioners.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><b>Pronation &amp; Supination - What Are They?</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, both are </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">tri-planar</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in their actions meaning they are made up of 3 actions. </span>  </p>
<h3><strong>Pronation Of The Foot</strong></h3>
<p><img class=" wp-image-15604 alignleft" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Pronation-of-the-foot-Foot-Biomechanics-1-104x300.png" alt="" width="143" height="413" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eversion - base of the heel turns out. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Abduction - the toes abduct away from the body. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dorsi-Flexion - the toes get closer to the shin decreasing the anterior angle of the ankle. </span></li>
</ol>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The pronated foot is wide, loose, floppy, long &amp; the Midtarsal Joint is ‘unlocked’ <span style="font-weight: 400;">This is the shock absorption phase of the gait cycle/walking. This is necessary to reduce, dissipate or dampen shock as our foot hits the floor each step we take so that it does not reverberate up into the brain. </span>  </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Supination Of The Foot</strong></h3>
<p><img class=" wp-image-15605 alignleft" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Supination-of-the-foot-Foot-Biomechanics-1-110x300.png" alt="" width="150" height="409" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Inversion - base of the heel turns in</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Adduction - the toes adduct towards from the body</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Plantar-Flexion - the toes get further away from the shin increasing the anterior angle of the ankle</span></li>
</ol>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The supinated foot is narrow, stiff, rigid, short &amp; the Midtarsal Joint is ‘locked’ </span>   <span style="font-weight: 400;">This allows for the ‘toe off’ phase of the gait cycle/walking. This is necessary to propel the body forwards on a solid foot.</span>  </p>
<h2> </h2>
<h2> </h2>
<h2> </h2>
<h2> </h2>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>The ‘Overpronation’ Fallacy</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When we understand the phases of the gait cycle it becomes apparent that the epidemic of 'over pronators' might actually be misunderstood, maybe we don't OVER pronate after all.....</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><b>The Gait Cycle</b></h2>
<p><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-15606" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-Gait-Cycle-Foot-Biomechanics-1-300x190.png" alt="" width="596" height="378" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heel Strike - Pronation - Shock Absorption </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">     </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">ForeFoot Landing - Pronation - Shock Absorption </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neutral - Mid Point - Body Moves Over The Foot </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">              </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heel Lift - Supination - Big Toes Extends Initiating Propulsion</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">                       </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Toe Off - Supination - Rigid Foot For Propulsion</span>  </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>So What? </b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Root Theory has been a huge influence on the podiatric / orthotic professions with the ‘loose’ feet being described as overpronators because the foot rolled inwards. Also the knee was valgus, the foot was still floppy &amp; pronating at the 'heel lift' phase of the gait cycle. This is when it was supposed to be supinating &amp; rigid, therefore the ascending force could be causing problems including symptoms, </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What this meant was that at the point of 'toe off' the foot was still pronating, thus ‘over’ pronators were still loose when they should be more rigid for the propulsion phase. So technically / functionally we are more likely to be LATE SUPINATORS as opposed to 'over' pronators! The TIMING of supination is late. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Root design a support to stop excessive pronation happening by offering a ‘wedge’ on the inside of the foot/shoe, an orthotic to ‘fill the gap’ &amp; stop excessive pronation. </span>  </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However this often created another problem.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">It stopped the absorption or dissipation of shock, thus creating alternative problems as you can imagine. Feet hitting the ground already supinated, or at least with a reduced ability to pronate, increased the shock / force ascending upwards in the chain.</span>  </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>The Modern Theory - Panjabi’s Model?</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Design of orthotics has evolved to recognised this by fashioning smaller wedges that improve the <strong><em>timing of supination</em></strong> rather than stopping pronation. This gave the late supinators an improved ‘timing’ of the supination phase to enable a more natural gait &amp; better chance of a rigid 'toe off'.</span>  </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Over Prescription Of Orthotics...?</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Could orthotics be over prescribed?</span> Conceptually they simple alter force, the force must go somewhere, so could we enable our clients to produce force more optimally through movement training? Would it make more sense to train the body to absorb and produce force better itself? Could some people benefit from an external support for force production improvement?</p>
<p>If you would like to join us to discuss some of these questions why not get in touch? rachel@biomechanicseducation.com</p>
<hr />
<h2> </h2>
<h2>Would You Like To Be Able To Reduce Your Clients Risk Of Injury &amp; Help Them Get Even Better Results?</h2>
<!-- /wp:heading -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:image {"id":7922,"align":"center","linkDestination":"custom"} -->
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter"><a href="https://biomechanicseducation.clickfunnels.com/biomechanics-coach-l4-low-back" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img class="wp-image-7922" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Biomechanics-Coaching-courses-UK-1024x576.jpg" alt="" /></a></figure>
</div>