Welcome to another post in the Barefoot Strong Blog! Today’s post is a great example of why all health and wellness professionals (including those that are specialists) must always consider the greater picture and consider integrated movement systems. Although I am a Podiatrist and am presented with patients complaining of foot & ankle pain or…
Category: Barefoot Biomechanics
What the (Morton’s) Foot? Functional Implications of the Long Second Toe
In today’s blog I thought I’d talk about one of the most common conditions I see as a Podiatrist – the long second toe – aka Morton’s Foot or Morton’s Toe. Although I hear my share of foot myths, I think this topic probably takes 1st place for the most creative misconceptions around foot function. …
Toe-Spread vs. Short Foot: Intrinsic Activation
From the minimalist footwear movement to barefoot training, one of the greatest benefits of getting out of the orthotics and motion-controlled shoes is the activation of the plantar intrinsic foot muscles. As the health and fitness industry begins to embrace the many benefits of intrinsic foot strength, researchers are starting to question which foot exercises…
Rearfoot Position and Closed-Chain Calf Stretching
Normal gait requires at least 5 degrees of ankle dorsiflexion, with maximum dorsiflexion occurring closed chain during late mid stance when the subtalar joint is passing through neutral. Limited ankle joint dorsiflexion can result in a myriad of compensations both proximally and distally. From knee hyperextension to midfoot over-pronation (calcaneal eversion), the deforming forces…