C.A.R.S and TOE-GA

When treating the foot I always start with getting the patient to focus in on the foot. Where do you feel the weight distribution - inside, outside, heel, mid-foot, toes? Calluses, bunions, Morton's neuroma and bruised toe nails are signs that the foot is unable to distribute the weight properly. Now consider if the fist point of contact to the ground cant distribute the weight properly what that means for the rest of the body...knees, hip, back.

Then we discuss the importance of foot and toe mobility.

Can you:

-move the toes

-do the bones in the foot move

-does the ankle have good control

-are the muscles in the foot able to handle the forces

Usually one or more of these aren't performing optimally resulting in some sort of discomfort. You can check some of this at home by doing some Controlled Articular Rotations or C.A.R.S. This is a seemingly simple exercise however in practice can be very difficult. Isolate the ankle range of motion by preventing the shin to compensate - opposite arm under bend knee same and hold on to other arm's wrist that hand will now hold the shin and prevent it from rotating when turning the ankle. Now with with ankle make the biggest and slowest clock possible. Does the foot catch and skip? How much time have you lost from the ankle clock?

Another good test is the TOE-GA (see video) can you move that big toe independently from the other toes?

As a Neurofunctional Practitioner I start by educating on shoe selection. Next we aid in the foot correction by releasing the abnormal tension, thereby allowing the bones to move more optimally and then activating the inhibited muscles so the foot does not collapse with the force of impact. The rest is up to you - TOE-GA

HOMEWORK!!