The influence of the foot on body static

When a person is standing, the foot is the first and most important connection between the body and the environment. This is why we can set the foot as the point of origin for regulation mechanisms necessary for upright posture. Today, static foot disorders are commonly found in the general population, as we nearly always wear shoes, meaning that the receptors on the sole of the foot constantly suffer from a lack of stimulation. What’s more, the foot muscles are required to do very little static work. Changes in foot or body static do not necessarily have to result in discomfort. However, this change is one of the main causes of many painful problems. Virtual replica of the body The central nervous system (CNS) has access to range of sensory information in order to acquire an overview of the current state of – Joint position – Muscle activity – Tendon tension – Pressure on the skin – Orientation of the body compared with the force of gravity (Allum et al. 1998). A virtual replica of the body is created in the brain after filtering this information to the centre of the brain stem. The information in this proprio-receptive system forms the basis for our central nervous system being able to develop an up-to-date status image of posture (Ernst and Bülthoff 2004). Allum, J. H. C., Bloem, B. R., Carpenter, M. G., Hulliger, M., Hadders-Algra, M. (1998): Proprioceptive control of posture: a review of new concepts. Gait and Posture 8, pp. 214-242.
Ernst, M. O., Bülthoff, H. H. (2004): Merging the senses into a robust percept, Trends in Cognitive Sciences 8 (4), pp. 162-169. Proprioception – Self-perception of the body Proprioception is how we perceive our own bodies. Even with our eyes closed, we still have a very good idea of how our body is positioned in space and the position of our arms and hands. This is known as the ‘body schema’ in cognitive science (Gallagher 2005). It is made possible by the sensor bodies in the joints and muscles, which constantly provide the brain with information on the body’s position in space. Gallagher, S. (2005): How the body shapes the mind. Oxford University Press.

These sensors (proprio-receptors or proprioceptors, for short) also play a crucial role in preventing injuries caused by sudden changes in strain. Twisting your ankle (subluxation) is a typical example. If the joint sensors are functioning well, the body is able to quickly recognise that the joint is beginning to twist. A reflex immediately tenses the muscles that stabilise the joint, preventing injury to foot ligaments. The latest scientific studies show that strengthening proprioceptive sensors can significantly lower the risk of injury. Studies also describe a possible positive, targeted influence of muscular activity through the activation of proprioceptive stimuli. R. Reer, J. Jerosch: Proprioception of the ankle joint. In: M. Nyska, G. Mann (Editors): The unstable ankle. Champaign, Illinois, USA: Human Kinetics, pp. 36-51, 2002.
R. Reer, J. Jerosch: Further thoughts on proprioceptive training as a therapeutic measure. In: M. Nyska, G. Mann (Editors): The unstable ankle. Champaign, Illinois, USA: Human Kinetics, pp. 195-200, 2002.
Cf. Akademie u. Forschungszentrum für Ganzheitsmedizin, Institute für Biomechanik, (Academy and research centre for holistic medicine, Institute of Biomechanics) Idar Oberstein, Germany. www.akademie-ganzheitsmedizin.de, Studies by Oliver Ludwig: Sensory motor function/posture measurement.

Trained sensors – Upright body posture Proprioceptive sensory perception plays a crucial role when it comes to adopting a stable posture. Well trained sensors make it possible for the body to adopt an upright position and be able to maintain it for long periods of time. This means that training the muscular strength and flexibility of the stabilised core muscles is not sufficient in order to automatically adopt a good posture. It is more necessary to practice muscle coordination and your own body perception for a particular position.