Well, well, look what we have here, another arch! The image below is a medial view of the lower right leg. We talked curves and arches in the last two blogs, and as you probably know, our feet have arches too. Are you starting to get the idea that your body may be more springy than you give it credit for? The image below shows the medial longitudinal arch. It’s one of the 3 arches of the foot. The lateral longitudinal and anterior transverse arch aren’t shown here, but they are important nonetheless and will be discussed soon.
My main point here is to show how weight continues to be distributed down the spine, pelvis, hips and legs down to the ground. The majority of the weight is supported by the tibia bone and dispersed from behind the apex of this arch to the forefoot and heel. Notice how much space there is from the back of the heel to the ankle joint. The ankle joint is below the condyles on the tibia and fibula. Mapping the ankle correctly often gives the lower leg a greater sense of length and allows the foot a greater possibility for mobility.
Can you find your ankle joint? Using your thumb and index fingers, locate the condyles (bumps on the sides of your lower legs) and feel below them. Point, flex or circle your foot to find where the majority of the movement comes from. Explore one ankle for a minute and then stand up and go for a little walk. Sense how the mapped ankle moves compared to the unmapped ankle. Pay attention, it may be subtle. Repeat the mapping on the other side and then stand up and go about your day.
Ankle injuries and pain have a tendency to distort our bodymap and connection to the ground. Ensuring the integrity of the map can improve function of not only the foot, but the ankle, knee, hip and all the way up your spine. Next we’ll look at the foot from a dancer’s point of view.