Self-Evaluation

The way that our feet function every time we take a step impacts the rest of our body. For the majority of us (around 70%), our feet don't function as well as they should, and this increases the risk of suffering pain in the muscles and wear and tear of the joints, which can develop respectively into muscle and soft tissue pain and oesteoarthritis.

The most common cause for abnormal foot function is the small misalignment of one or two bones in the feet. The heelbone (calcaneus) or ankle bone (talus) can be slightly out of alignnment when we are born, and remain this way for the rest of our life. With every step we take, this tiny misalignment is the source for disruption of the function of the feet.

The misalignment can be very mild to very severe, can affect one or both of the bones to different degrees in each foot, and will impact on foot function until identifed and properly controlled. The most effective way of controlling abnormal foot function is with a pair of custom orthoses, but only after an assessment of foot function has revealed the exact nature and extent of the problem in your particular case.

So, how do you know whether your foot function is disrupted?

Abnormal foot function does not just cause muscle pain and joint wear and tear in the feet and lower limbs. The effects reach throughout the body, from toe to head, and each person will show a different combination of symptoms. In addition, problems like exhaustion, fatigue, fibromyalgia, glandular fever, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep problems and weight fluctuations can also be linked to this underlying cause by the effects of chronic daily stress as the body is forced to work and move in adpative ways.

Other factors in the development of foot function-related problems include age, weight, height, occupation, nutrition, hobbies, sports, accidents and genetics.

There are a huge range of signs and symptoms of abnormal foot function, some examples of which are listed below. In isolation, some of these problems may be caused by other factors, but the presence of a good proportion of them in combination will normally suggest the presence of abnormal foot function as an underlying cause:

• Bunions;
• Hammer toes;
• Corns and callouses on the feet;
• Uneven shoe wear (the pattern of wear on the bottom of one shoe will be different to that on the other)
• History of recurrent injury(ies);
• Plantar fasciitis;
• Shin splints;
• knock-ankles;
• knock-knees;
• Poor balance;
• Scared of heights;
• Oesteoarthritis;
• Knee pain;
• Difficulty running, hopping and skipping;
• Unlevel pelvis (one hip higher than the other);
• Functional leg-length discrepancy (one leg shorter than the other with no difference in bone length);
• Hip pain;
• Groin pain;
• Iliotibial Band Syndrome;
• Sacro-Iliac Joint pain (pain and stiffness around the two dimples in the lower back, just above the buttocks);
• Back pain;
• Functional scoliosis (twisting of the spine);
• Poor posture;
• Unlevel shoulders;
• Shoulder tension and pain;
• Neck pain;
• Tender ribs, espeically in chest area;
• Jaw pain;
• Tension headaches;
• Exhaustion;
• Fatigue;
• Chronic pain;
• Achy tired legs after standing or walking for a period of time.

Assessing your own foot shape

It is actually quite easy to work out whether or not you have an inverted (varus) or everted (valgus) footshape yourself. Of course, the results aren't particularly accurate, but just getting your eyes tuned in to what to look for can suddenly reveal signs you simply hadn't seen before.

1) Look at photographs (or have some taken) of you sat with your feet dangling free from the floor. With your feet relaxed, are the soles of your shoes parallel to the floor, or at an angle? The angle here gives a pretty good guide to the degree of natural varus footshape, but doesn't distinguish between whether the problem lies only in the forefoot (forefoot varus), or in both the rearfoot and the forefoot (rearfoot and forefoot varus).

2) Sit on the floor or on the bed with your feet dangling off the end and your legs stretched out in front of you. Give your legs and feet a good shake and let them rest in their natural relaxed position, slightly apart. Now look down at your feet. Can you see the inside of your heel? Can you see more of the heel on on the inner side of one foot than the other? If you can, then you have some degree of varus footshape.

3) In the position described in point 2, get someone to take a photograph looking directly down at your feet. Look at the photograph and draw a (imaginary) straight line across the base of your feet. The angle that your feet make to this line reveals the degree of varus, or inward twisting of your feet. Click here for an example of this

4) Can you find (or take) any frontal photographs of you running? Shots of your feet capturing the alignment of your foot and leg just before it touches the floor and begins heel strike are invaluable. In this position, the muscles of the lower leg and foot are contracted, bringing the sub-talar joint into neutral non-weightbearing position. (See pictures below for an example).

Although it is not possible to establish the exact relationship between forefoot and reafoot misalignments using these rough and ready methods, the presence or absence of a foot shape variation can be determined quite easily.

Click here to find out more about a professional assessment of the alignment and function of your feet.

Think you'd never find these clues? Check out the images below to help you find what to look for...

Example of a varus foot shape in the left foot of a professional athlete

See the way the sole of the shoe is at an angle to the level surface of the ground? That's the vital clue to the presence of a varus footshape. It is only possible to see this angular relationship when the foot is non-weightbearing - as soon as the foot comes into contact with the ground, the foot over-pronates and the lower limbs internally rotate to compensate.

Next time there is televised running event, pay close attention to the alignment of the runners feet just before their heel strikes the ground. The best shots are full frontal views that show the leg extended to the front just prior to heel strike. You'll be amazed at how many of the athletes have some slight foot shape misalignment - trust me!!

Click here to find out more about how to assess footshape

Once you get your eye in to the position and alignment of their feet, begin to study the alignment and movement of the rest of the body. Very rarely will both feet have the same degree of a varus footshape, so it's only natural that the body compensates accordingly. If you watch closely enough, you'll see variations between left and right sides of the body in the degree of arm swing, internal leg rotation, excessive movment of the head or other individual or unique movements.

Ideally, the body should be balanced and equal on both sides, with a smooth and rhythmic motion sequence. The differences and left/right side variations you can see reflect the differences in how the body compensates for an abnormal foot function caused most commonly by a natural varus footshape.