DETERMINING FOOT ARCH
To determine the height of your arch follow the simple instructions below:
All that is needed is a paper shopping bag (or a type of heavy paper), water, and a shallow tray or pan, or a water spray bottle with a gentle spray.
- Pour a small amount of water in the shallow pan so that it just covers the entire surface.
- Next, slowly lower your foot onto the surface of the water so it just dampens the bottom of your foot. Alternatively, use a water spray bottle with a fine spray to lightly spray the bottom of your foot.
- Step lightly onto the paper. Do not press your foot down hard or roll your foot side to side. The objective is to see how the bottom of your foot is shaped without being pressed down hard.
- Lastly, look at your foot print on the paper and then compare with the foot types.
BIOMECHANICS OF THE FEET
The human foot is a complex structure made up of 26 bones and 2 sesamoids, held together by soft tissue material - muscles, ligaments and tendons. The human foot was designed to walk on soft surfaces like earth and sand rather than today's hard and flat man-made surfaces. So, it's little surprise that with the average person taking 14,000 steps per day, damage often occurs to the soft tissue supportive structures of the feet.
Over time, soft tissues slowly become stretched and this loss of support causes abnormal foot function during walking or running. In turn, this leads to changes in the biomechanics of the ankles and further up the leg to the knees, hip, pelvis and spinal column.
Therefore, many knee, hip or back problems may be caused by abnormally functioning feet! Children as well as adults may experience similar problems due to abnormal bone or soft tissue development. Constant uneven stresses exerted on feet can also lead to those conditions listed. Wear and tear patterns on the soles of your shoes can reveal whether or not you have a potential problem.