Exclusive Tips from Dr. Norbert L. Becker
Foot and Myofascial System
In my previous blog posts, we took a closer look at the functional structure of the foot and its mobility through muscles and tendons during the biomechanical processes of walking and standing.
What do fasciae have to do with the foot? They are on everyone’s lips, but are also shrouded in mystery. And what function do they actually serve? If the bones provide stability, the muscles mobility, and the tendons create the connections, what purpose do the fasciae serve? What exactly are fasciae and the myofascial system?
We do not yet know everything about fasciae, but much has been researched in the meantime. The term “fascia” means bundle, connection, or band. Fasciae run throughout our bodies in a network-like pattern as connective-tissue structures surrounding organs and muscles. Initially, fascia has a rather passive function. It gives individual organs, such as muscles, support and shape. Fasciae thus surround muscle tissue, gather into tendons, encircle, move, and stabilize joints, thereby forming what is known as the ‘myofascial system’.
What significance do fasciae have specifically for the foot?
All currently known muscle-fascia chains are connected to the foot, begin there, or pass around it: the superficial back line, the superficial front line, two lateral lines, and the spiral lines (according to T. Myers). The fascial chains of the arms are also integrated into this system. The foot is therefore not only an important part of the ‘tension network’ in our body, but also influences this network in a particularly significant way.
For example, the superficial back line runs from the toes over the plantar fascia, which is located directly beneath the sole of the foot, across the heel to the lower leg, and from there all the way up to the head.
The illustration on the left symbolizes the course of the fascial chains in the foot; blue: spiral fasciae; red: superficial back line; violet: deep front line; brown: lateral line — © fair2feet
The illustration on the right symbolizes the course of the plantar fascia in the sole of the foot
The interaction of fasciae with tendons, bones, joints, and muscles gives the foot its special functionality. The foot is by no means merely a static element for transferring body weight to the ground. Thanks to its flexibility and tension, it can tolerate different loads, perform corresponding movements, and adapt to different surfaces.
But isn’t something still missing? Yes, of course: perceiving, touching, and sensing where and how I can place my foot—this has not yet been mentioned. Just think of a stone in your shoe pressing against the sole of your foot: the pressure sensed is immediately translated into an appropriate response and movement of the foot—and therefore of the entire body—that minimizes the pain as much as possible. The sensitivity of the fasciae plays an important role in this process.
Taken together, it is the complex sensorimotor function of the foot that works closely with the myofascial system and is still missing from our discussion. We will describe it in more detail in another blog post.
For now, however, let us stay with the fasciae and ask what keeps our body upright and stable while also making it mobile and dynamic. It is the system of muscles and fasciae that creates tension in our body, stabilizes it together with the bony skeleton, keeps it mobile at the same time, and then transmits muscle tension through the fasciae.
A disturbance or impairment of the foot’s function can therefore have far-reaching effects on the body through the muscle-fascia system and, under incorrect loading, lead to functional disorders of the musculoskeletal system, cause general discomfort, and result in pain and other negative consequences.
Such impairments should be counteracted, especially through proper footwear. In addition to suitable and comfortable shoes, foot exercises, walking barefoot, and movement of any kind are important contributions to maintaining foot function.
We will also discuss in another blog post how fasciae and the myofascial system can be trained with innovative aids, ‘stimulated’ through a sensorimotor-mediated stimulus, particularly with gentle pressure, and how their function can be supported.
