Release Date: 2024-01-18

Current Exercise Approaches in Foot and Ankle Pathologies

Muge Kirmizi (Author), Yasemin Apaydin (Author)

Release Date: 2024-01-18

The foot performs its main functions, including bearing body weight, shock absorption, adaptation to different ground surfaces, storage and return of elastic energy, and modifying its rigidity throughout gait, thanks to the arches present in its structure. In this section, the structures supporting the foot arches and their training are explained through the concept of [...]

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    The foot performs its main functions, including bearing body weight, shock absorption, adaptation to different ground surfaces, storage and return of elastic energy, and modifying its rigidity throughout gait, thanks to the arches present in its structure. In this section, the structures supporting the foot arches and their training are explained through the concept of the foot core system. The foot core system consists of passive, active, and neural subsystems. In the active subsystem, which can be developed through exercise, the specialized functions of the plantar intrinsic and extrinsic muscles are emphasized. Training of intrinsic foot muscles, with the short foot exercise being the most studied, is reported to be effective in correcting foot alignment and improving foot and ankle function and dynamic balance in long-distance runners, adults with foot and ankle conditions such as flatfoot, plantar fasciitis, chronic ankle instability, and diabetic foot, as well as in adults with normal foot posture. Moreover, for common foot problems, including Achilles tendinopathy, chronic ankle instability, and plantar fasciitis, exercise methods specifically recommended for each problem and proven to be effective are also explained. Exercise rehabilitation is considered the primary approach for the conservative management of Achilles tendinopathy, with the loading of the tendon through eccentric exercise standing out. In the rehabilitation of chronic ankle instability, strength training, balance training, and joint mobilization are prominent in the current literature, with strength training reported as the best choice for improving joint position sense. Strengthening the peroneal muscles, the main evertors of the ankle that provide lateral ankle stability, is essential in exercise rehabilitation. For plantar fasciitis, a combination of stretching and extracorporeal shock wave therapy is suggested to provide better results compared to either alone. The most studied exercises for plantar fasciitis are plantar fascia stretching and Achilles tendon or calf stretching exercises, with plantar fascia stretching suggested to be better. This section contains illustrated explanations and exercise prescription recommendations for the mentioned exercises.

    Yasemin Apaydin (Author)
    Dr., Recep Tayyip Erdogan University
    https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6630-2632
    3She completed his bachelor degree at Baskent University in 2013. She completed his master of science (2016) and PhD (2021) in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at the Gazi University. Her field of master’s education is "Vestibular Disorders". She has focused on task-oriented training in vestibular disorders. She worked in Gazi University as a research assistant between 2014 and 2021. Now, she is working at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University as an post-doctoral researcher. She has high experience in clinics, academic publications, and international projects in the field of neurologic problems. She has 11 years of experience in the clinic and he still continues to support neurologic patients. She has specialized in neurologic disorders in academic activities such as book chapters, academic publications, and congress presentations. She gives undergraduate courses on rehabilitation of individuals with special needs. Her primary research focus is on "patients with Multiple Sclerosis" “vestibular rehabilitation” and “vestibular disorders”.

    Muge Kirmizi (Author)
    Asst. Prof. Dr., Izmir Katip Celebi University
    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4550-4232
    3The author received her undergraduate degree in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at Hacettepe University 2014, his master’s degree in Orthopedic Physiotherapy at Dokuz Eylül University in 2017, and his doctorate from the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at Dokuz Eylül University in 2022. The author worked as a Physiotherapist at different Special Education and Rehabilitation centers from 2014 to 2016. She started to study in academia in 2016 and as a Research Assistant at the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at Dokuz Eylül University between 2016 and 2020. In January 2020, she started to study as a Research Assistant at the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at İzmir Kâtip Çelebi University. By July 2023, she was promoted to Assistant Professor Doctor within the same university and department, where she continues her professional academic life.

    • Boonchum, H., Bovonsunthonchai, S., Sinsurin, K., & Kunanusornchai, W. (2020). Effect of a home-based stretching exercise on multi-segmental foot motion and clinical outcomes in patients with plantar fasciitis. Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions, 20(3), 411–420. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32877978

    • Carek, P. J., Edenfield, K. M., Michaudet, C., & Nicolette, G. W. (2018). Foot and Ankle Conditions: Plantar Fasciitis. FP Essentials, 465, 11–17. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/29381040

    • 10.1186/s13643-024-02455-x

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