Hello Guys Welcome to this my blog today I am going to write a some information Flat foot and cavus foot Each foot is made up of 26 bones, 31 joints and 20 muscles.
If we consider that the human skeleton is made up of 206 bones; we understand that as much as 25% of the total bones (26+26 =52) are located only in the feet.
As you can imagine, all this multitude of joints, and consequently of musculoskeletal relationships, which are established, can easily lead to breech imbalances, as the foot is also the only bond we have with the ground. The role of these joints is both to orient the foot in space and modify the shape and relative curvature of the arch of the foot, and to discharge load forces and cushion impacts .
A notable importance from a biomechanical point of view is associated with an equal importance from a sensorial point of view ; in fact, with each step the foot “collects” all the information from the ground and regulates the motor response accordingly. The foot, in fact, adapts to the terrain thanks to its changes in curvature.
the normal functionality
There can be various alterations in the normal functionality of the foot, the 2 most classic cases are those of flat foot and cavus foot: flat foot is an alteration of the longitudinal and transverse arch of the foot which determines an increased plantar footprint on the ground ; the cavus foot , on the other hand, is obviously the opposite, i.e. a support area of the foot limited to the front part and the heel, the intermediate part may have limited or even absent contact based on the degree of severity of the cavus foot.
In the physiology of the gait of a “normal” foot there is a continuous alternation between flat foot and cavus foot , that is, in the support phase the foot is prone and therefore becomes flat to cushion the weight on the ground and “feel” the ground and then supinate and therefore become hollow and transform into a rigid lever ready for propulsion of the step. We can therefore consider a flat foot as a more static or sensitive foot while a cavus foot as a more dynamic or motor foot.
Here again is the foot as an organ of sense and motion.
As usual, what is important is the initial anamnesis and postural evaluation to understand whether we are faced with a “real” flat or hollow foot, and therefore the need for a medical consultation in this regard, or with a flat or hollow foot which we can define functional, that is, a foot that has become for some reason either too sensorial or too motor; as we can well imagine, the first will be a type of foot that is unlikely to suffer, for example, sprains but which will push little in terms of propulsion, while the second will be a pushing foot, propulsive but which may be at risk in terms of sprains .
This evaluation will be important to be able to set up a training program that can help us improve, for example, the performance of an athlete, or to set up increasingly individual and functional training for the type of person who comes to us.
Obviously, in a global concept, increasingly current in posturology, I must evaluate the subject as a whole and not just the foot, and understand how, and if, this foot is adapting a postural dysfunction that comes from above
Useful exercises for flat feet
Strengthening the muscles that form the foot: especially the peroneal muscles and the posterior tibialis, improving the general body plan, working on the active maintenance of the right plantar curve in dynamic and complex conditions, the advice to walk barefoot and alternating different gaits such as on tiptoe is useful in children , on the heels, heel – toe, on the outside of the foot.
Useful exercises in case of cavus foot
Stretch the muscles of the back of the leg, improve proprioception and the general body scheme, pay attention to the general posture of the subject and do a good job of re-education if necessary.
The choice of footwear is also important , especially before dedicating oneself to a physical activity with high joint impact, it would be a good idea to choose the most suitable footwear for our way of walking or running. If I know my posture I will act accordingly when purchasing and I will have improvements in my quality of performance and general well-being.
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