The structures in the foot aren’t static. They move and flex as we walk: the heel contacts the ground, body weight is transferred to the foot, our body travels over the foot, the heel lifts off the ground and then our weight is removed from the front of the foot. There are upwards of thirty joints in the foot and all of them move when we stand and walk. These motions are important because they are what provides shock absorption while we are standing and walking. The difference between a smooth comfortable ride on squishy suspension and an uncomfortable, jostling, jarring ride in a steel wagon.

One of the big reasons why flat feet can hurt so much is because when they flatten out they can actually increase the amount of stress applied to them throughout the day. Here we will look at the structures involved, a bit of math, and what a pedorthist can do to help.

Alignment refers to how well the foot and structures on top of the foot, like your legs, stack up on top of each other.  Generally, we want things to be stacked up as close to vertically as possible. Like playing jenga.

The beginning of our journey.

The most commonly discussed arch of the foot is the medial longitudinal arch, a rather wonderfully named bit of anatomy…

The beginning of our journey.