[H3rmit]

Check out the foot abs! That's what I call them:

Strengthen the Foot and Ankle: AFX Ankle Foot Maximizer

This is a gadget for athletic rehab that was advertised at the place I got my orthotics. I took one of the ads because I like the pic - reminds me to build up my foot muscles. So that's what I have on _my_ fridge.

[unaluna]

I saw regis philbins feet in a magazine once, and they were very nice, but THIS is a FOOT!!! hilarious! !

[H3rmit]

Regis Philbin's feet? Sounds awful - why were they nice? Hilarious, yes, but I do want foot abs.

This looks like some helpful foot exercises and massage. I have looked at LOTS of videos. These exercises could prevent the kind of pain I have, a common problem for older people, and prevent the need for orthotics, even:

[lynn P.]

This is very interesting and helpful. Wearing shoes are bad for the muscles in our feet and make them lazy. My 15 yr old daughter got shin splits for the 1st time last summer track and field season - its very painful and I know its related to her flat feet. There's so much conflicting info on flat feet - whether to treat of not treat with orthotics. I searched so much, to find some helpful exercises to strengthen those front shin muscles and soothe the tightness on the foot bottom. This is a great idea and thanks for posting about this H3rmit

[H3rmit]

Thanks, Lynn. I guess as we get older, many of us accept foot pain, but it seems much of it is avoidable, just as I have healed or avoided other pains by developing muscle groups. I wish I had known more about what to prevent. People in my family just didn't care much about health. They were more the long-suffering type of people.

Here are a couple more valuable foot sites. The first is for the PTTD, the condition I have:

Acquired Adult Flatfoot Deformity (Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction) - footEducation | footEducation

but it also has an excellent general foot diagnosing site, too:

Foot Pain Identifier - footEducation | footEducation

The rehab program is the only one I could find that has a peer-reviewed article associated with it. It starts out non-weight bearing and works up to tension bands. The video exercise is more for someone without a chronic pain situation like I have. I'm looking forward to doing it one day.

[unaluna]

These are great sites, thanks. I stretch my feet a lot.

[lynn P.]

Thank you very much H3rmit for the links and I'll take a look at them. It makes sense if the foots not right, it stresses other joints.

[H3rmit]

Another good site for exhaustive foot condition info on one searchable page:

Foot Pain - In-Depth Report - NY Times Health

[lynn P.]

I looked at exercises for flat feet on the link you gave and its very helpful. I know the shin splints are related to her foot problem. I scoured the internet last summer looking for some helpful exercises and this link you gave is the best one. I think we can all benefit by making out feet strong.

[H3rmit]

Originally Posted by lynn P.

I looked at exercises for flat feet on the link you gave and its very helpful.

I think you're referring to the foot education site with the peer-reviewed rehab for pretty severe tendon inflammation and a chronic condition. I agree, that site is just fabulous and really explains what's happening in the foot.

I also found the initial youtube link exercises valuable in the past two days. My legs feel straighter after doing the pen-penny exercise, and seeing that, yes, there is a muscle there that can lift the arch and take the strain off the stretched-out and inflamed posterior tibial tendon. I can walk without joint pain, suddenly. I feel like I can build this muscle.

The physiotherapist told me to swim, and that was good, but instead of giving me decent exercises he said one day I'd be able to stretch my calf on an incline board, and he just set me up with various kinds of electromagnetic pulse stimulation that I felt were worse than useless. Cautiously trying these exercises has been most valuable.

[H3rmit]

The orthotic really helped my joints - hips and knees - and the feeling that my upper and lower legs weren't in the same line like they should be. I wish I had inquired more when they were first suggested to me 10+ years ago.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

:O Haha. Funny. I was doing some pushups while an ex watched, once (don't ask :P) and she said I had a six pack on my back. Haha Made me laff, but a 6-pack on ya feet is just sick.