Search the Community

Very interested to see this new video - primarily for myself rather than my students (though I'm going to have a close look at foot pronation in the class in case it would be useful for anyone - and we'll do something similar anyway if I can fit it into the space available). As Kit may know, I pronate on both feet, on one so badly that the tendon of the tibialis posterior ruptured. A surgical repair would mean reconstructing the foot - taking tendons from elsewhere and redirecting them. The surgeon (thankfully) did not want to do this - in fact they were impressed that I had as much function as I have. I ascribe this to doing calf rises in ballet (though it was ballet that was the last straw in screwing it up in the first place). These are rather like faster versions of the exercise illustrated, though it starts from a flat foot and the rise was not usually held. However I am pleased to find that doing a few slower ones has led to a rapid improvement. Thank you! A couple of questions: 1. How important is it that you hold it till the muscle cramps? I can hold it quite a long time, and it gets tired, but does not cramp. Or am I just a wimp (i.e. giving up too soon)? Are a few repetitions held for a long time best, rather than the multiply repeated rapid "bobbing up" that I have been doing? 2. What then is the function of the posterior tibialis? It is often said that it is to "hold up the arch". However, I do not understand this from the geometry. As the p.t. tendon goes round the ankle, it runs forward horizontally (so at that point can only pull back) and then turns inwards to run almost horiztontally towards the midline of the foot. So here if anything it would seem to pull the arch medially - or I think more likely, the overall effect is instead to pull the ankle laterally in relation to the arch (rotating it laterally over the heel), helping to keep the arch and ankle in one line which is how they should be (i.e to stop the ankle collapsing inwards - to the body's midline). Could this be right? 3. What are the points that Kit mentioned in the video about alignment at the hips affecting pronation? How should we be aware of errors here? Please can we have more details on this point? Anyway, greetings, many thanks, and best wishes, Jim.