The arch, the most unassuming part of our body, is the foundation of our body that is constructed w/ the Tarsal joint that not many people talk about. The Tarsal joint is the most complicated joint in our body that is arranged totally opposite of the other weight-bearing joints that stand on top of the other.
The Tarsal joint that forms the arch is a group of small joints on top of the foot. It involves 12 bones: 7 Tarsal bones (Heel bone, Anklebone, Navicular, 3 cuneiforms,& Cuboid) that are very irregularly shaped & 5 metatarsal bones. These 12 bones are arranged side-by-side and locked as a 3D puzzle, and when carefully counted, there are 21 tiny joints. This complicated arrangement allows a tiny 1-2 mm of up-&-down range of motion, which makes sense since the foundation should not fluctuate.
Every step we make, our entire body weight (plus whatever the weight we carry) has to pass through this Tarsal joint—the arch. In this stage, the Tarsal joint falls out of its tiny range of motion putting the entire foot bones out of alignment, including the Anklebone on which the leg bone stands. As a result, the Fallen Tarsal joint throws all the major joints out of alignment from the feet up and damaging the feet & major joints. Interesting thing is that when the Tarsal joint falls, the 12 bones in the tarsal joint spread out making the foot bigger & flatter while compensating w/ so many joints & so many directions to alleviate pain. But the major joints standing & moving out of alignment (due to the tilted anklebones) damage the cartilages of the joints while shortens the height. That is why pain usually happens in the ankles, knees, hips, & back first rather than the foot and why the foot gets longer and longer while the height gets shorter & shorter. Just know the Fallen Tarsal joint is the Silent Major Joint Killer.
To stop the ongoing damage in the feet & major joints and the proper healing to take place, the Fallen Tarsal joints need to be realigned to the point of aligning both anklebones at the same height w/ Feet Balance Orthotics. We can prove if the anklebones are aligned properly or not w/ Anklebone Alignment test.
📅 Schedule a Pedorthic Consultation for Your overall body health by aligning the foundation of your body.