Arizona Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Center on a Common Sense Approach to the Feet – LIVING WELL Magazine

A Common Sense Approach to the Feet

Michael D. Castro, D.O., Arizona Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Center, Scottsdale LIVING WELL Magazine

Many of the more common problems affecting our feet result from tight calf muscles  –specifically, the gastrocnemius. The gastrocnemius is one of three muscles that become the Achilles tendon and one of three muscles in our entire body that cross two joints, the knee and the ankle. This being the case, if the gastrocnemius is tight, then ankle motion will be restricted when the knee is straight. This imbalance significantly alters the forces applied to the foot and ankle and the dominos start to fall.

The most common effect is plantar fasciitis, commonly misdiagnosed as “heel spurs,” which results from increased tension on the plantar fascia, a ligament whose job is to support the arch of the foot as the heel rises from the ground. This occurs because more of the body’s weight is applied to the ligament’s connection to the heel bone, ultimately resulting in injury and pain. Although commonly misdiagnosed, this condition usually resolves with regular stretching of the gastrocnemius.

Another ailment of tight gastrocnemius is pain localizing to the ball of the foot – sometimes misdiagnosed as interdigital, or Morten’s neuroma. This occurs when the ball of the foot and joints at the base of the toes are subject to greater force as a result of the heel rising early and driving the ball of the foot into the ground. This commonly gives one the sense of walking on pebbles or having their sock balled-up in their shoe. This condition, metatarsalgia, also responds well to stretching the gastrocnemius and improving ankle motion.

In general, the gastrocnemius can become tight in response to a change in activity level whether you increase or decrease the activity. Including calf stretching as part of our daily routine can maintain essential ankle motion and avoid the stress that can cause the injuries discussed above and more generalized joint irritation (arthritis).

For more information regarding these or any other conditions affecting the foot or ankle, visit our website at www.aofoot.com or contact our office at 480-473-3668 for an appointment.