I have Morton's Foot and suffering a lot of ankle issues

"Hi,
 Interested in your thoughts on Morton's foot? This is something I can visually see by the metatarsal

A good example of Morton's Foot

length. I wore orthotics for 15 years and decided 1.5 years ago to get out and transition down to a more minimal shoe. While I've done this I'm suffering from a lot of ankle issues. Really the longus and brevis seem to be problematic. I'm not a runner but even trying to walk a mile a day seems to over stress them."
(name supplied)
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Gary:

If the space between your first and second toe appears to be deeper, not wider, but deeper than the space between your second and third toes, you have Morton's Toe, also known as Morton's Foot.

A lifetime walking on volcanic scoria - Samoa

Morton's Foot is associated with foot and ankle pain, most commonly pain in the ball of the foot.  I
do not think metatarsal discrepancies are really that much of an issue in themselves; the real issue is to do with foot strength and foot hardness. When I look at the feet of some of my Samoan in-laws, I see strong feet that are perfectly adapted to their environment.  They are not necessarily the most beautiful of feet; but they sure can take a whole lot of punishment.

The problems I see daily with foot pain are closely associated with soft, weak feet which are the product of a lifetime in shoes from birth.  This sheltered upbringing of one's feet is not usually a problem until the owner starts to put on a bit too much weight, takes up a fitness programme, or - heaven forbid - starts preparing to run a marathon wearing minimal shoes!  Matters may also be complicated by nutritional deficiencies and unwanted side effects of medication.

Here is what I recommend in general for foot pain:

• Get about the house and office barefoot - wear socks.  I do so all day while at work.
• Walk barefoot often on natural surfaces such as grass, river gravel and sand.
• Do daily exercises to strengthen the arches of the feet:  Google search: "Gary Moller Correcting Foot Pronation".
• Keep your weight on the lean side: every excess Kg is a huge stress on the feet, especially when standing, walking and running.
• Bathe tired legs and feet in a tepid Epsom Salts foot bath.  Google search: "Gary Moller Sore Feet".
• If planning to exercise in "Barefoot" shoes, make the transition from conventional footwear very gradual.  If you have a history of "weak feet" it may be better to use conventional sports shoes for the heavier exercise, including longer running and walking and use the barefoot shoes around the house and yard.
• Many medications may accelerate arthritis with long term use.  These include asthma drugs, many blood pressure drugs, drugs for thyroid disease, drugs for osteoporosis, all steroids and most anti-depressants.  If you are taking any medication and you are beginning to suffer unusual joint and/or muscle pain and stiffness, then the role of medication must be suspected and explored.

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Correcting foot pronation (collapsing arches) with corrective exercise (Updated)

Wow!  345,000 YouTube views and climbing, this is one of the most popular and controversial video topics I have ever produced.  Pronating feet (Feet that tend to splay out and for the inner arch to collapse) is probably the most common biomechanic fault we ever get to see.

Conventional treatment for pronating feet invariably consists of the fitting of orthotics which are special shoe inserts that are designed to alter the mechanics of the foot.  These inserts can be expensive.  The most expensive pair I have come across so far, came to whopping $940 (including consultations).

In my opinion, most orthotics are unnecessary, often difficult to get used to, generally don't work and end up creating more problems than they fix.  Restricting natural foot mechanics with a shoe insert may cause a "clumping" walking and running style. New injuries, affecting the shin, knees and hips, may develop by the insert transferring the shock wave of foot strike further up the legs.  Orthotics are like crutches in most cases.  Reliance on any kind of crutch, for longer than a week or so, causes further weakening and increasing reliance on the crutch (dependence).

The long term solution for weak feet lies in improving the balance of strength between the intrinsic foot muscles and the muscles of the lower leg - as well as improving posture.  Unfortunately, this process takes a long time and involves breaking old habits such as standing and sitting with one or both feet splayed out like a duck.  This requires patience and persistence which is a threatened species in the quick-fix, "Give me a shot Doc" environment of today.

Pronation is not all bad as some experts would have us believe.  Pronation is a natural shock-absorbing function that feet are designed to do.  We are fiddling with millions of years of adaptation if try to fix excessive pronation by preventing pronation by the use of restrictive orthotics.  Instead, we would be much wiser in our actions by focusing our attentions on enhancing the function of the foot, including facilitating healthy pronation.  Healthy foot function is developed by strengthening the feet and improving body posture overall.  In the end, pronation is only a problem when the feet are weak and the posture is poor.  And we should not ignore excessive weight being a further cause of collapsing feet!

Habitual slumping when walking, running and standing is one of the worst things a person can do for their feet. When a person slumps there is a chain effect from the base of the skull to the feet.  In the case of the feet, the typical compensation to slumping is for the feet to splay outwards, causing excessive pronation.  The counter to sloppy posture is walking, running and standing tall with the feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly unlocked and the feet pointing forward, slightly pointing out.  Think of having a bungee cord fastened to the top of your skull, lifting your body up and keeping the spine straight.

The next step is to get about barefoot at every opportunity on natural surfaces like grass and sand.  Here, in my office, I never wear shoes and get about in a pair of sporty anklet socks.  Barefoot, especially on natural surfaces, strengthens the feet and trains the reflexes.

Support postural training with exercises that strengthen the "anti-gravity" muscles of the body - The back, gluteal, thigh and calf muscle.  The most effective and basic exercise for this is the "Lift and Press" which consists of lifting a weight from the ground, to the shoulder and then pressing it above the head.  Balance this with exercises that stretch the muscles that prevent us from standing straight - The chest and hamstring muscles in particular.

If you are overweight then it makes good sense to lose some excess kilos by assuming a "healthy diet" and a programme of daily exercise.  Strong, healthy feet  are central to an effective weight loss programme and the exercises to strengthen the feet and improve posture can be an integral part of an exercise-based weight loss programme.

If there is to be a concession to orthotics principles, it is the fitting of a flexible heat-moulded inner sole (Formthotics) which allows normal foot movement while giving some support when the weak or exhausted foot bottoms out at the peak of the foot strike.  Although I have always had strong, flexible feet, I love the shock absorbing comfort of these inner soles and would not be without them when running and hiking.  I also have the Formthotics Low Profile in my cycling shoes.

Interestingly, this kind of innersole is mostly unavailable in shoe shops nowadays - other than my website.  Their disappearing off the retail market coincides with the widespread introduction of "strategic partnerships" between sports shoe companies, retailers and professional foot clinics.  Here's an example of this.  

So, you go to a shoe shop, they get you to trot on a treadmill, or do some other test of foot function, tell you that your feet pronate excessively and recommend that you consult a foot specialist who will fit orthotics, paid in part, by ACC or an insurer.  If you are seeing a foot specialist, you will be directed to a particular retailer to get suitable shoes to go with your brand new orthotics.  The retailer no longer stocks these self-help heat moulded inner-soles. This is how it seems to work nowadays. It is therapy that does little to improve foot health, other than giving temporary relief, while contributing to blow-outs in health-care and insurance costs.

To my surprise this e-book and video on how to strengthen excessively pronating feet has attracted some vehement criticism from some quarters.  Despite this, I have not felt compelled to retract or modify anything said and demonstrated.  This is because the criticism, to date, has had no credible basis and can only be seen as pathetic attempts by people who have little interest in the health of their patients and who employ bully-boy tactics to protect their lucrative meal ticket.  A meal ticket which I think has been abused as a therapy.

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Are Formthotics any good for foot problems that require specific treatment?

"I just watched your youtube article on Formthotics, they seem to be just off the shelf products and not specifically for a persons foot, ankle knee or back problems. Problems that require specific treatment."

Frank
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Gary:
Thanks for your inquiry Frank and good question!

Some of the Formthotics are definitely off-the-shelf and take no fitting other than being placed inside the shoe.  The Forthotics Active and Shock Stop, on the other hand, are heat moulded to fit the unique shape of the wearer's feet.  The beauty of the Active and Shock Stop is that they support the feet while not restricting normal, natural foot mechanics.

Here is the link to my range of Formthotics inner soles.

Rigid orthotics alter foot mechanics in ways that I consider to be highly undesirable.  Unless there is a deformity, such as from birth or a traumatic injury, I consider the fitting of orthotics to be unnecessary and undesirable for the vast majority of active people.

Orthotics may possibly reduce a person's foot, ankle, knee or back problems but may not for long and may cause other problems down the line.  If a foot is not allowed to function as an energy absorber and regenerator, then that energy must be transmitted elsewhere when the foot strikes the ground - that means more stress further up the line affecting structures like the Achilles, the lower leg bones and even the knees, hips and back!

By not being able to regenerate that energy into forward drive during the push-off stage of the stride, the runner must expend more energy in maintaining a given speed.  You can always tell when a runner wearing orthotics is running besides you because you can hear them hitting the ground hard with an excessive heel-strike with a style that is more akin "clumping" along than floating along effortlessly.

In my 30 years in this kind of work, I have yet to encounter a pair of orthotics that could not be replaced by a combination of foot and postural exercises and running drills.  The most expensive orthotics I have thrown in the bin exceeded $900.  I did this without hesitation.

If the feet are not functioning as they should the answer is a far cry from orthotics which serve only to enrich the person doing the fitting and making the wearer all the poorer financially and as a fleet-footed athlete.

The solution lies in strengthening the foot muscles and re-educating posture and running form.  This means exercises in addition to running and getting a good coach who is familiar with running drills to improve leg strength and running form.

The most common foot fault, by far, is excessive pronation (foot must pronate, by the way - that's what they do to absorb energy during foot-strike!).  This may be countered by regular practice of the exercise in the video here.



Formthotics are very useful, replacing the existing shoe sole to provide a custom-moulded inner which stops the foot sliding and slamming about in the shoe while providing cushioning to prevent the arch from completely bottoming out as the foot muscles tire.  They do not restrict natural function of the feet.

I have Formthotics Shock Stop in all of my running shoes.  I love them and find that fitting a new pair into an old pair of running shoes is sometimes just as good, if not better, than going out and purchasing a brand new pair.

If you are not convinced about what I have said, then I suggest you invest $50 in a pair and try them out.

But please ensure that you do the foot exercise in the video!

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.