How well are your arches performing? Take the test to find out! 1. In bare feet, stand facing your kitchen counter. 2. Place your palms on the counter with slight pressure. 3. Stand with your back straight, and lift one foot off the floor. 4. Slowly lift the heel of the other foot, placing all of your weight onto the ball of your foot. 5. Slowly lower your heel back to the floor. 6. Do 10 foot push-ups. Repeat steps 1 – 6 with the other foot. Did you have problems doing just one push-up? If you cannot rise up onto the ball of your foot without putting a lot of pressure on your hands, leaning over the counter or experiencing pain, your arch may have a mechanical problem. The arch tendon can stretch or rupture, leading to lowering of the arch. Contact your foot and ankle surgeon as soon as possible for an evaluation. Were you able to do all 10 without a problem? If you can easily rise up onto the ball of your foot but have difficulty performing all 10 repetitions, you may be suffering from arch fatigue. Exercises focusing on strengthening and stretching the leg muscles will help this problem. The foot push-up described above can also be used as an exercise technique. Did you have pain in your arch during the exercise? If you can easily rise up onto the ball of your foot but experience pain in your arch, your arch may be inflamed and may have been overworked. Schedule an appointment with your foot and ankle surgeon so s/he can manage the problem and help keep your feet healthy and pain-free. Info provided by ACFAS.
Information provided by The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons