Some people believe that the fine muscles in your foot are of little importance. After all, you don’t use your toes in the same manner that you use your fingers. While that may be true, your hands can’t preform the same functions as your feet. Don’t believe me? See how successful you are walking around on your hands all day!
Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Foot Strengthening
Before we delve into the importance of intrinsic foot strengthening, let’s explain the difference between the two types of muscles in your feet: Extrinsic and Intrinsic.
By definition, extrinsic muscles have at least one attachment to the leg. They connect the leg to the foot. On the other hand, intrinsic muscles have both attachments on the foot. The intrinsic muscles in your foot are a small group of muscles that perform a variety of functions in order to help you maintain balance. The intrinsic muscles are responsible for absorbing the impact of a foot strike, converting torque and maximizing weight distribution. When you run over uneven ground or step on a rock while mowing the lawn, it’s your intrinsic muscles that help you maintain your balance and prevent your ankle from rolling.
In all, there are 20 intrinsic muscles inside a person’s foot. They are located in one of three locations:
- The plantar plane (the sole of your foot)
- The dorsal plane (the top of our foot)
- In between the plantar and dorsal planes
The majority of your intrinsic muscles are located on the plantar plane of your foot, which makes sense because those muscles can better regulate a person’s balance. 14 of your intrinsic muscles are located on the plantar plane, two are located on the dorsal plane, and four are located in between.
Intrinsic Muscle Rehab
As my good friend and colleague Dr. Andy Masis wrote on his website, the intrinsic muscles are often ignored by clinicians and researchers. When helping individuals develop a rehabilitation plan, it’s important that the intrinsic muscles don’t go overlooked, as people with proper intrinsic muscle strength are up to 80 percent less likely to develop plantar fasciitis. Problems with weakened or unadressed intrinsic muscles aren’t just limited to the foot, though. As Dr. Masis noted, individuals with weak intrinsic muscles can lose up to 40 percent of the reactivity speed in their abdomen’s core muscles.
So in the end, rehabbing by only working on a few muscles may actually jeopardize other parts of your body. Just like building a house, the key is to start with a good foundation. If you’re stuck with an injury to your upper body, make sure you’re still moving around to keep your intrinsic muscles in top shape. If you suffer a lower body injury or a foot injury that leaves you unable to bear weight for some time, ask your doctor and physical therapist what exercises you can do to make sure your don’t lose healthy muscle while you’re off your feet. A great place to start is to look at the rehab videos we have on our Youtube Channel. These are physician approved techniques that will have you back on your feet in no time.