The Ready State: Mobility Training with Dr. Kelly Starrett › Forums › Foot/Ankle › Über Flat Fleet

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    • 03/17/2014 at 2:24 pm #70847
      AvatarKim Morgan
      Participant

      I’ve had flat feet since I was about eleven, and for most of my life I’ve stood with my feet turned out and my knees locked, which has given me collapsed arches like you wouldn’t believe.

      About 2 years ago I started doing most things in my five fingers, and that helped with plantar fasciitis, but still no arch to speak of.
      Fast forward: I’ve been MOBing my feet, calves, shins, ankles, quads and hams for about a month now, but I’m still having issues. 
      I can create an arch when air squatting if I really think about it, and it seems to be getting better, but I am constantly sore now. It feels like I’m standing on the lateral sides of my feet all day long in an attempt to create an arch. I’m hoping that keeping a position with torque will help some lingering knee issues, but now I have aching feet nonstop. I’m mobing every day, but I feel like any progress I make upstream of the feet is sabotaged by poor foot function the rest of the day. 
      Is this normal? Will my feet strengthen with time, or is something else going on? Are there any resources to show how a foot is supposed to be weighted (because I have never experienced a properly waited foot in memory).
      I’m thinking I should get some orthopedics, or maybe just spend less time standing (I’m a massage therapist and a farm hand). 
      Any incite out there?
    • 03/17/2014 at 2:43 pm #74323
      AvatarNathan Richer
      Participant

      check these out:


      sorry some of those are pro episodes.

      you might want to try these:


      These are easy and cheap. it is possible that your toes are jammed together and thus preventing your body from knowing what muscles to fire when you stand.

      try not to stand on the outside edges of your feet. this is not the solution as i think you have discovered.  

      a properly weighted foot should be on the balls of feet, along the bottom of the outside edge, and the heel on each foot. it forms a C shape. some people use the word “bean shaped foot” or upside down L.  whatever visualization works for you.

      when you stand, try to turn your kneecaps slightly outward, generating torque into the ground. in order to do this properly, your glutes need to be activated. it is possible that they are completely out of the picture when you stand. this is why when you do an air squat properly, an arch is created – you do a “not knees in” squat, keeping vertical shins and you have to use the external rotators to keep the knees from drifting in. one of those powerful external rotators is the glute medius. if you do this when you stand, your arch will naturally appear.  so getting the arch in the foot is not just a local task in the foot, but also up the whole leg itself.

    • 03/17/2014 at 3:07 pm #74325
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      Are you working to develop your foot strength?
      Your feet can get sore because it is new and you are using parts of your foot you have not used before.
      Episode 54: Pinchy Ankles and Weak Feet
      Episode 07: Bro, Your Navicular Bone Dropped
      Rebuilding Your Feet With Brian MacKenzie
      Rebuilding The Feet, Part 2
      Rebuilding the feet, part 3

      If you are standing on the outside of your feet you are over correcting it.
      Send me a message with your email and I can send you some info on strengthening your feet.

    • 03/18/2014 at 1:59 am #74327
      AvatarKim Morgan
      Participant

      There are a few mwod videos here I haven’t seen, so I’ll definitely be checking those out, and revisiting the rest. Thanks for all the input!

      I feel like just today I was able to stop over compensating so much and find a little more balance in my posture. I am optimistic. 
    • 05/05/2014 at 5:15 am #74587
      AvatarTroy Florence
      Participant

      Hi Samuel

      I am a podiatrist, I’m all for mobilising joints but increasing mobility in the foot will in theory create a flatter foot, it probably won’t but just a thought.

      Specific foot and lower leg strengthening will be of overall benefit to you but to specifically assist in your knee complaint it is unlikely that this will have much influence on it. And any changes in your arch height due to strengthening would be quite hard to observe visually, and anyway don’t worry about your flat feet, flat feet are normal, function of that flat fleet if leading to injury of your knee does not necessarily mean that it is not normal but it can be targeted with orthotic therapy.

      Whatever your doing with altering your foot shape/arch by air squatting, I would stop or reduce this, your are loading structures in the foot that can’t tolerate this thus creating a problem.

      My Advice;

      1) Accurate diagnosis of knee problem and specific intervention to target the injury if not already done.

      2) Low dye tap foot and see of any benefit; This will reduce pronation of your foot and thus may give more of indicator wether lower limb biomechanics are influencing your knee complaint

      3) If you are standing in one spot for a number of hours, my view is that humans were not suppose to do this & definitely not suppose to be standing on hard surfaces such as concrete so I would consider more cushioned/shock absorbing shoe and or shock absorption mats to stand on.

      Hope this helps.

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