There are plenty of smaller muscles within the bottom of the feet and probably because of their size they haven't gained much relevance. It has begun to change lately as studies have started to illustrate exactly how fundamental these muscles will be to natural functionality and biomechanics of the feet. These muscles appear to have an essential roll in how we balance and failures of these small muscles would probably be an issue in many of the digital deformities. This topic was answered within a new episode of the podiatry talk show that is broadcast live on Facebook known as PodChatLive. In this PodChatLive the hosts talked with Luke Kelly who has written a lot in the area of plantar intrinsic foot muscle functionality and just how significant they may be. He described the spring-like function of the human foot whenever walking and the function of those muscles in that. He also described precisely why it is fake to believe a flatter foot is actually a “weaker” foot. Luke also describes precisely why he's personally NOT a supporter of the ‘short foot exercise’ and simply the reason conditioning the intrinsic musculature will never make the medial longitudinal arch ‘higher’ which is a commonly suspected belief.
Dr Luke Kelly PhD has more than fifteen years of clinical experience assisting individuals with pain as a result of musculoskeletal injuries along with persistent health conditions. He has carried out a PhD in biomechanics and is actively involved with research which endeavors to improve the understanding and management of common foot conditions, including plantar fasciitis, foot tendon disorders, arthritis in the feet along with children’s sporting problems. He is right now a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Sensorimotor Performance in the School of Human Movement & Nutrition Sciences at the University of Queensland in Australia. Luke’s present research is examining the way the brain and spinal cord combines sensory feedback to adapt the mechanical function of the feet through ambulating.