The muscle that normally helps lift the arch is called posterior tibialis (PT). It’s a muscle in the calf that attaches to the inside of your foot, on the arch. This is important in people with flat feet. Having a higher drop relieves the Achilles tendon and the calf muscles. The drop is the difference between the heel- and toe-height. Here I’ll introduce two important features of a shoe: the drop and the last. There are far more important things to consider. These are not the right questions to be asking for someone with flat feet. The only things I had cared about until that point was: Is the shoe on sale? Is it a nice colour? Is it light so that I can run fast? That’s when I became aware that I was neglecting a really important part of running – finding the right shoe! So this cinderella learned a few things about shoe anatomy from her sports physio. I broke my PB at the Sydney Morning Herald half marathon that year, but I also broke my foot. I didn’t have too many problems until 2016 when I started amping up my game again. It still works for me, and I put it in every shoe I can fit it into. The next best thing is an orthotic from the shops – I was recommended Scholl’s Orthaheel. At the time, I was a lowly intern and couldn’t afford them (they cost several hundred dollars). Ideally you should get a podiatrist to make a custom orthotic, but this can be very expensive. By correcting things at the ground level (literally), it relieves the joints above. In the picture above, you can see how wearing an orthotic to support a collapsed arch relieves the foot and ankle (left). This was the first time I was informed that I really should be wearing orthotics. I saw a physio and a sports podiatrist who analysed my feet. I loved it so much but I went too hard, too fast, and started developing injuries. As I mentioned before, 2011 was the year I was introduced to long distance running. If you have pain anywhere, it’s wise to seek professional medical attention.īack to flat feet. This is why it’s so dangerous to self-diagnose. A lower back issue could have nothing to do with pathology in the back but be caused by the feet. This is why pain in a certain area of the body can be quite complex. We ground through our feet, so if our feet aren’t placed well, it has an upwards domino effect – knees, hips, and even up to the lower back. In fact, when one joint is out of alignment, it affects the alignment of the entire limb. This is why a lot of people with flat feet also have knee problems. As a result of the arch collapsing in, you get a little knock-kneed, putting a strain on the medial, or inside, part of your knee. ![]() This causes the arch to collapse and the foot to turn out – this is called over-pronation. Flat feet means you don’t have an arch on the inside of your foot. This image is a great demonstration of what happens when you have flat feet (on the right). In fact, there are many problems with having flat feet. ![]() She did have a point though… flat feet aren’t ideal for running. Maybe I became a runner because of that as a big “f**k you!” to prove her wrong. I can’t remember what prompted it, but she said, “you have flat feet. When I was in primary school, I remember I was chilling in the library with my shoes off and a woman started talking to me. Since 2011, I have run 12 half marathons, 2 marathons and a trail run. When I became a doctor, a friend of mine got me into long-distance running (more on that journey later.) and I’ve been hooked every since. My dad used to take me for runs around the botanical gardens when I was a kid, and competed in athletics and cross country. Accidentally-on-purpose colour coordinating my running outfit
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |