296 ‒ Foot health: preventing common injuries, enhancing strength and mobility, & picking footwear
View show notes here: https://bit.ly/43Ff0Zx Become a member to receive exclusive content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ …
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"Harmony in Every Heartbeat
In this episode, we discuss:
0:01:11-Why Courtney chose to specialize in the foot
0:04:12-The vital role of foot strength, function, and health in human movement and well-being
0:08:25-Anatomy of the rear foot and midfoot
0:19:10-The development of flat feet, the impact of footwear, and the benefits of going barefoot
0:23:20-Anatomy of the forefoot, common injuries, and why most injuries occur in the forefoot
0:31:00-Foot musculature and its role in maintaining foot stability and preventing deformities like bunions and hammer toes
0:41:00-The intrinsic musculature of the foot, plantar fasciitis, footwear, & more
0:54:41-Plantar fasciitis: diagnosis, causes, and treatment
1:03:45-Posterior leg muscles: strength assessment methods, role in ACL injuries, & more
1:09:27-Lateral and medial muscles: ankle stability, arch support, big toe stabilization, and exercises to strengthen and prevent injuries
1:13:56-Importance of strength of lower leg muscles for gait and preventing shin splints, stress injuries, & more
1:19:21-Tendinopathies and other common pathologies related to the anterior and lateral compartments of the foot
1:26:55-The importance of midfoot integrity and ankle dorsiflexion and a discussion of gait alterations
1:34:57-Proximal stability and its implications for posture and movement patterns
1:41:23-The age-related decline in foot sensation and strength
1:45:49-Common toe injuries, treatment, and how to prevent further progression of the injury
1:57:33-Preventing falls & managing arthritis with proactive foot care & exercises
2:06:20-Footwear: advice for picking shoes that promote foot health
2:19:05-Footwear for runners
2:23:39-The importance of prioritizing footwear that promotes natural foot movement & strength while considering individual comfort & foot health needs
I to Didn't SEE the LIST of shoes that Dr. Courtney Conley was talking about in the show notes so I contacted the office and wrote them. As soon as they get back to my E-mail I will put the info below for everyone. WHAT AMAZING INFO! Never learned so much about our feet in my life. 🙂
PETER, FYI/IMHO: YOU NEED TO STOP SHOWING YOUR FACES,… AND INSTEAD START SHOWING SOME "PHOTOS, CHARTS, DIAGRAMS, AND SHORT VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS OF THESE "DESCRIBED" TECHNICAL FACTOIDS!!! THE "POINT AND GRUNT" METHODS ARE FOR SH!T!!!!!!
IT SURE WOULD'VE BEEN A LOT MORE HELPFUL, IF YOU HAD ACTUALLY SPENT THE TIME ACTUALLY SHOWING THE PROPER, PHYSICAL EXERCISES NEEDED TO RESTORE PROPER FOOT CONTROL, AND STRENGTH TRAINING!!!!!!!!! WTF?!…
Where is Courtney's list? 🙁
This is over-the-top information thank you so much, Peter and Courtney! For those of us who have had amputations or traumatic injuries, foot health is far more challenging. At age 19 I had my left foot severed from my leg in a motorcycle accident. I spent six months in a cast. Four of those months were in a cast from my foot to my hip. I lost 2” from my left leg. I am now 68 years old. I have never worn more than an 1 1/4” lift because I cannot tolerate anything higher. I’ve always been active and never had any issues until last year. My knees literally blew up. Along with Baker cysts, stage 2-4 osteoarthritis, torn meniscus, etc. I was shocked and horrified. I’ve been working on foot strength because I recognized that was likely a big part of my issue. Having a lift on a shoe stiffens the shoe and makes it very difficult to flex. I spent several years not being able to even find anyone to alter my shoes. In all of the practitioners that I’ve seen they focus on my curved spine, messed up neck, etc. none of this has been an issue for me. Orthopedists have been shocked that I could even walk with bone on bone in my left ankle for my entire life. I was an avid hiker mountain biker, and bodyboarder until last year. I wish I could find someone to address my whole body under MY circumstances NOT the average body. Because I have found this nearly impossible I seek to educate myself as much as possible. Thank you so much for all of the detail and helping us to better understand the importance of our feet.🙏🏻
“The interview will be available to everyone while the videos from the gym will only be available to paid subscribers (found at the end of the show notes page). “
0:23 😮 "toe strength" i thought imbalance was because of poor vision or some level of vertigo. Interesting point
At 75, I'm just beginning to experience some issues with my feet (not discussed here). One question I have concerns how much difference it makes what the surface is where you walk or run. I live where we are primarily walking on dirt trails, but when we travel and walk (for several miles a day) in NYC (for example) on concrete and asphalt, my feet get very achy.
He ends the interview by saying he’s excited to go into the gym and do some of the exercises and yet no exercises were shared…..what a joke🙄
Great video but where is the list of shoes that you said would be listed ! I use Altra Long Peak zero drop shoes and love them.
This episode is frustrating despite being a very interesting topic. Why wasn't the focus on the exercises, and where is the discussion on how you fit them in to your life in terms of frequency, cost-benefit, and building vs maintaining? It is so frustrating because this is probably the only episode dedicated to the foot Attia will ever do (or, maybe, for the next 5 years?). Isn't the main ethos of the podcast about increasing longevity and healthspan? So what is the longevity strategy? It's not even clear to me that they would even implement the exercises as a longevity strategy before getting injured or weak, since the concept was never discussed in those terms! Like other episodes, so many hours are spent on a gentle and limited tour of med school anatomy and pathology which if we are charitable we would say is of secondary or tertiary importance to average folks. Less charitably, we'd say it is edutainment which distracts the viewer from noticing that the ethos of the podcast is absent.
how can i be a patient of Courtney,she’s so incredibly beautiful and intelligent
Fascinating!!! I’ve suffered w foot pain since I was in my 20’s and I’m learning so much from this! Thank you thank you for such great info! I do have that ancillary n you mentioned and some sharp pains in areas you mentioned that may be fractures! I wish I hadn’t waited into my 50’s to learn more about this. As an active runner and boot camper I’m starting to have to give up things I love so I’m hoping I can pt my feet back to healthy and strong!
The top of my foot all of a sudden started hurting last fall, 2023
I don’t remember hurting it.
I like to walk and don’t want to stop walking.
It hurts more at the end of the day.
I try to move it by doing stretches and rotating daily.
I’ve done physio and massage and I recently started with an osteopath.
My doctor just sent me for an x-Ray and I’m waiting for results.
Any idea what it can be?
Thank you !
I’m 72 years old and have osteoarthritis arthritis in my knee, lower back and neck.
God, next to her, Al Bundy doesn't stand a chance!
By the way, you did not mention moccasins !! You get that Maui venison. Get them to make moccasins from the deer hides. However, they do where out. I once bought brand new moccasins to wear at a National Square Dance Convention with lots of dancing at the Alamo . By the end of the weekend those moccasins were ready for the wastebasket.
Your crew might have a way to figure out how to create moccasins with soles that don’t wear out when you wear them outside — like your rucking .
By the way, moccasins over several pairs of wool socks do not wear out hiking in snow. Used a pair for several winters as a teen. In Northern Minnesota.
I have two knots on the arch of my right foot is this PF??
I feel like my notes from this episode can easily go for a full transcript lol
As a former dancer, a proud carrier of two bunions, and a yoga teacher, I want to say a huge thank you for this episode—from the bottom of my soul (or rather two soles)! So often, I see people having zero clue about why training feet is so important. Little by little, the paramount significance of human feet is seeping into the public consciousness, thanks to content like this. Truly grateful!
1:07:04 I still don't believe this is possible.
Dr Courtney is awesome! Love here energy for the foot. I learned so much. Excellent discussion.
So does the structure of the rest of the limb (knee joint, hip joint, etc) limit how well the health of the foot can be affected through exercise?
I am so thankful that up to 10 years old I went barefoot a lot and/or only wearing moccassins we would buy at booths on our long desert drive road trips! But I want to be able to stretch out my 3rd toe from the 4th and pinkie so those toe separators sound awesome! I already wear Xero shoes for dirt path walks and hikes.
Love this! Thank you for sharing this important information!
I loved this video. Very informative. I already listened to it twice and will probably watch again. My big problem is finding a shoe like that in a size 5. Nobody wants to carry that size, they don’t have the spacey in their warehouse to store them and not enough demand. I’m 68 on my feet all day long due to my job and I have sore big toe pain on the ball of both my feet. It may have started in 2009 when I started Swing Dancing 4 times a week after being on my feet all day long. Thank you so much for this video. I learned so much about the foot. And I loved her voice. I can listen to her all day!!
all of this basic anatomy info — in any anatomy textbook or even generic anatomy site (up for googling). The on and on about the importance of strengthening feet — not sure there are ppl who wouldn't agree with that. So, the whole point of this would be to share some practical, real exercises specific to strengthening the mentioned muscles — none, zilch, nada.
Great episode thank you, I have been wearing only wide toe box barefoot shoes for 18 months now. Amazing. There is so much to learn I watched twice and learnt heaps Then, by chance, I found that it is a great thing to listen to for falling asleep. Now I probably know the first two minutes off by heart but then zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ☺
Where do we buy the toe separators?
Xero shoes are the best if you can’t be barefoot. I have ben wearing them for years and love them!
Xero shoes are the best if you can’t be barefoot. I have ben wearing them for years and love them!
I began wearing barefoot shoes 1 month ago. What are yr. Thoughts on grounding shoes along w/barefoot shoes? Thanks
I am 68 and I'm in great health except I'm getting foot surgery 7/1 bc there's no cartilage btw the big toe and its attachment. Plus there's a bone spur that will be shaved down. There will be a plate put ON my foot at 10* so i will still be able to slightly bend my foot to walk properly. I trust my surgeon as he said this is a great relief for the pain rather than getting shots every few months to reduce pain BUT the wear and tear to the joint still occurs will bone on bone happening as cartilage doesn't regenerate. Shots are the best option as they eat away at the bone (as I've heard elsewhere)
She didn't mention cartilage at all. If I missed that please give me the time stamp.
Is there solid research behind the statement that toe strength is the ‘biggest predictor of falls’. I know there are many predictors of falls, and I don’t doubt toe strength is critical, but is this statement supported by research? Any links? Thanks
I hike several miles every day at 75 and now am having PT for peroneal tendinitis in a foot where i had a trimalleolar fracture over 20 years ago that they told me might eventially have to be fused. Have no idea what was over stretched or damaged as far as ligaments besides my achilles which was a mess. The orth that diagnosed the tendinitus said the joint actually looked good, just a lithle arthritis so thats great. I have a good PT but i dont know that he knows all this so im going to forward him this episode. Im a retired PT and i learned a huge amount. Thanks so much for this episode. Forwarding to friends with bunions as well.
The only thing that helps my stretch and strengthen my ankle after numerous strains is the warrior pose. Back foot ankle perpendicular and slightly turned in and front foot parallel, and then lower stretch towards front foot. Amazing!
Oh jeeze, over two hours of foot care talk. I’m going to need every second of this. I had a doc tell me when I was 14 ( 56 now) that I was going to have feet problems.
As a PT another huge predictor of falls is strength of the gluteus medius. Not just toes. The hip abductors affect balance. Balance training is hugely important
Too much talk not enough exercise we need to keep healthy about the feet. What a waste of time. 😮