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Summer 2006 Anatomy Tutorial
(Previous tutorials are archived here.) For years the relationship of the longitudinal arches of the foot puzzled me. I was told (by no less an authority than Emmett Hutchins) that it doesn't matter the shape of the foot the lateral arch is ALWAYS the focus and generally shorter than its normal function called for. Yet for a number of years this was an article of faith rather than something that made rational sense anatomically. To me it looked like the medial arch more often than not was the place in dire need of attention, support and stability. It came as something of an epiphany that whether the calcaneus moves into pronation or supination it rotates around the long axis (passing from toe to heel). In rotating it twists that entire lateral arch and thereby shortens. The place of maximum length is the neutral subtalar position. Because of this the tissue tends to migrate toward the lateral side. In structural integration we are most oftern interested in the lateral arch when the arch that appears to have the most 'trouble' is the medial. Referring to this two dimensional image from 'Plastiche Anatomie' Dr. Rolf explained it this way: "B2 Side 1"(11:30) One of the things you have to realize as you start dealing with the foot, is that there are two levels of operation in the foot. You see the difference in color here? The one color is attached to the three inner toes, the other color is attached to the two outer toes. The yellow sits on top of the gray. Now get reality on this. If you can lift the gray, you've got it made. If you lift the yellow, you've thrown it away. If you lift on the inner arch, you've thrown it away, if you lift on the outer arch, you've got it made. It's that simple. " This anatomy tutorial is a three dimensional rendering of the two dimensional image that IPR referred to. The lateral arch is green and the medial arch is brown. In three space we can see more clearly the structural/geometrical basis for Dr. Rolf's certainty regarding the critical importance of the lateral arch. It is also interesting to note that two of the three points of support on the base of the foot (the distal fifth metatarsal and the heel) are components of the lateral arch.
With regard to the the work on the plantar surface during the 2nd hour, the general rule that Dr. Rolf stated can be applied, "You are always lifting tissue toward the center". Typically with the foot you are moving the tissue from the place where it has migrated, thickened and built up on the lateral arch toward the center of the foot. Short strokes working at right angles (lateral to medial) to the plantar fascia will be more effective in most cases than simply raking a knuckle down the plantar surface.
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