Can stretching the ball of the foot transversely improve mechanics ?

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I am speculating in this thread, not stating fact.

Can stretching the ball of the foot transversely improve foot mechanics or is it a bad thing ? My understanding is that narrower feet may result in more pressure under individual met heads, leading in turn to greater stress on particular slips of the plantar fascia and perhaps to plantar fasciitis.

Placing excessive force on the transverse plantar ligament may lead to plantar plate tears which are disabling and to be avoided, but did the human foot evolve to have a bit more mobility in the forefoot area than the modern "shod from the first step" foot has? Should the met heads be able to move relative to each other more readily than they do in many the feet of many ( note ;not met bases) .

 

The anatomy of the forefoot area is pretty complex and includes plantar plates under the met heads , stabilizing ligaments around the MTPJ joints and deep and superficial transvers ligaments. Muscles are also involved in the mechanics of the forefoot and include the transverse and oblique heads of the adductor hallucis .

Typically, the foot of a "shod from the first step" individual is narrower than a habitually unshod individual, with the unshod foot demonstrating a more natural morphology .

Research has shown us that the forefoot region of habitually unshod populations are broader with a distinct gap between the hallux and the 2nd toe . Presumably, this means a wider section of deep transverse ligament between the MTPJ of the hallux and that of the second toe and a greater capacity for movement. Perhaps this capacity for movement is repeated between the other MTPJs, and hence met heads, meaning that the met heads of the unshod foot can move relative to each other more easily than a narrower, habitually shod foot .

The metatarsal parabola that exists in the human foot means that if the met heads don't move relative to each other during late stance then the pressure under the 2nd met head may be higher than under the other met heads perhaps producing greater levels of stress in the slips of fascia associated with that head and its associated joint.

Can stretching the ball of the foot transversely improve lower limb mechanics and hence reduce injury risk ? I believe it can and that this is the reason Australian ballet has fewer injuries than other ballet companies. Single leg ,barefoot, calf raises on a hard surface to maximum height. Note barefoot, hard surface, maximum height .

I am speculating but believe the argument to be the most plausible reason for fewer injuries . The intrinsic foot muscle exercise that AB dancers practice probably have little effect on injury rates.

 

When I tried single leg calf raises, barefoot ,and on a hard surface (probably not a good exercise for some people ), I initially found the exercise gave me discomfort under the ball of my foot . I also found I was not able to fully extend at the ankle joint.

After a few weeks the exercise became much more comfortable and I felt that my range of motion increased . My belief is that the exercised allowed the met heads to move relative to each other more easily esp at the end range of motion when the ankle joint was fully extended.
I think Australian Ballet was going to study their calf raise exercise, but have heard nothing for a few years now. It would be fascinating if they could show changes in pressure distribution under the foot caused by the calf exercise.

Increased pressure on a particular met head means increased stress on the associated section of the plantar fascia. IMO, To spread the load across the whole plantar fascia you need to spread load across the ball of the foot.

 

Some with diagnosed plantar fasciitis will tell you that the pain only goes away when they switched to wearing minimal shoes shoes for a period . Others will tell you walking on soft surfaces or in forgiving, cushioned, shoes gives relief, with minimal shoes causing an increase in pain .
So can how can both be true?

The answer may be quite simple . If forefoot morphology prevents met head movement and hence load spreading during gait, then wearing a cushioned shoe will help spread the load by deforming vertically ,an bit like a mattress cushioning the body during sleep.

Minimal shoes may help ( but take a bit longer to do so) by reinstating movement between the met heads with the lack of cushioning forcing greater mobility, a bit like the Australian Ballet calf raise exercises probably do.