FLAT FEET
"The flat foot, also called pes planus, is pronated
with a flattened longitudinal arch. The hindfoot may be in
valgus. Occasionally, there is an associated accessory navicular
bone. In this congenital deformity, the ossification center
of the navicular tuberosity fails to fuse to the main bone
and remains a bony prominence on the medial side of the foot.
These are often locally symptomatic and require protection
or surgical excision.
Flat feet are classified as flexible or rigid. A flexible
flat foot (or pronated foot) has full range of motion in the
midtarsal joints. The arch of the foot can be developed by
dynamic input through the tibialis posterior. A rigid flat
foot has a fixed deformity, and the flattening of the longitudinal
arch is unchanged by dynamic extrinsic input to the foot.
The flexibile flat foot is the most common and is usually
asymptomatic in the milder forms. Moderate to severe deformities
may be symptomatic. The rigid flat foot is much more difficult
problem and may prohibit such activities as long-distance
running. A rigid flat foot is often due to congenital tarsal
coalition, which is a fusion of some of the bones in the hindfoot
and midfoot."
This is how flat foot problem is described in "Athletic
Training and Sports Medicine" (AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOPAEDIC
SURGEONS, 1991, pp.431-432).
The practical essence of this problem is that a flat foot
doesnt allow (completely or partially) the foot to be used
as support during sport activity and particularly continuous
activity as in long -distance running. Anatomical deformities
such as an associated accessory navicular bone could require
a surgery, but most of the flat foot problems could be solved
through an exercise therapy.
Usually the original onset of a flat foot problem creates
restrictions in the foot functional activity and with the
introduction of different artificial support systems, such
as foot orthodics, this problem is temporarily moved aside,
but not solved.
In running, a flat foot obviously reduces training and racing
performance. The healstriking technique brings particularly
negative consequences because of the necessity to roll the
body over the foot during the support time. This brings excessive
loading of the foot over longer time of support and leveraging
the foot. The use of the foot in this manner develops constant
overloading of already not well-functioning foot, which consequently
leads to the plantar pain and injury.
In the Pose Method® this kind of loading is significantly
reduced by having a shorter time of support, less leveraging
and not using muscular efforts to produce a "push off"
by foot activity, which, in general, allows the runner to
avoid and postpone negative consequences. But the most important
thing is that the Pose Method" is teaching and training
the proper muscular activity of the feet, increasing their
functional strength and mobility, and eventually facilitating
the healing process. All Pose Method® drills and special
strength exercises are directed to developing a high level
of functional activity and strength of interaction with support,
where our feet are the most important component.
Dr.Romanov
Pose
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