Foot Mobilisation

As soft tissue therapists, our forte is soft tissues. Within this group specific to the feet are the interossious membranes, ligaments, tendons and muscles. We look at restoring functional movement with range of motion exercises, either passive or motive, with or without resistance/pressure, when we mobilize the feet. Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and tendons. A complex array that needs to be well positioned to ensure efficiency.

Foot mobilizations can be generic to a group of joints like the meta-tarsal’s or specific to a single joint. We usually use very little force as we are trying to restore normal function by encouraging the body to move as opposed to forcing it to move. Ligaments are there to support the joints, so forcing them causes them to protect the joints. We may work between the tips of the toes to the top of the lower leg on the Tibia and Fibular.