Posturology as a
Treatment:
Intrinsic Foot Muscles
Instead of Rigid Orthotics?
By Peter W.B. Oomens
I
n 1952, J.B.Baron, an ophthalmologist
suggested a link between human sight
and posture, thus creating a new field
of study called posturology. This
discipline takes into consideration
the integral study of human posture and
other body systems interacting together.
Since 1976 when French neurologist René
Jaques Bourdiol introduced an orthotics
therapy using posturology as a base, a new
neuromodular postural treatment known
today as podopostural therapy, is taught
to physicians, physical therapists and podoorthesiologists in and around Europe.
For 25 years as a podopostural therapist, I have treated patients
suffering from (chronic) low back pain and other, posture
related, disorders. Podopostural therapy helps change the
human posture by balancing the feet. Practicing therapists are
able to provide a patient with a personally made pair of very
thin insoles, where he glues pieces of cork of 1 to 2 mm thin.
This therapy is based on the findings of Dr. René Jacques
Bourdiol, a French neurologist († 2004) mentioned previously,
who assumed a direct triggering of the intrafusal fibers of the
intrinsic (plantar) foot muscles when applied by therapy. The
effectiveness of this type of treatment is within discussion
and it is my belief that excitation of the pressure sensitive
mechanoreceptors of the hairless skin of the foot sole, during
gait and stance, activates the related (plantar) intrinsic foot
muscles (IFM).
Challenging a Theory
In 1995, I published in the NTIG (Dutch Journal of Integral
Medicine, 1995; 11(2), 108-112), a research theory that
suggested in a loaded human foot, at least in the length, we
find a so called ‘force closure’ construction of the foot joints.
This closure is maintained primarily through the intrinsic
foot muscles and secondly muscles, supported by strong
plantar ligaments, such as the aponeurosis plantaris and lig.
calcaneonaviculare. These ligaments are unique to humans and
not with other mammals.
Living near the beach I have observed thousands of foot
imprints in the sand, from both children and adults, and the
more I studied them, the more I found something surprising.
With 12% of the Dutch population having flat feet (pes
planovalgus), I never could observe this foot joint construction
from their footprints. On the contrary, all sand imprints I
studied were less deep where I expected them to be; the
deepest, under the medial arch. This offered me a different
approach to researching this observation to find some kind of
explanation for this phenomenon. The closest answer I was
able to offer is that barefoot pronation is physiological and selfcorrecting.
Is there a difference between barefoot walking and walking
with shoes? Between walking with or without orthotic devices?
In 1986, Benno Nigg published Biomechanics of Running
Current Pedorthics
January/February 2014
27