It is true. Three. Lateral, Transverse and Medial. Most people are concerned with their medial arch. Those of us who work in running shop either hear from a customer or have fallen into the habit of saying "You have a high/medium arch" or "Your arch is low", "Your arch is flat" "Your foot doesn't have an arch". Any of these ignore that there are two other arches that can be imbalanced or needing support if pain exists.
The Medial arch is the one where most people experience the majority of pain or think the root of their problems in the rest of their legs/feet are stemming from. We shouldn't ignore that the lateral arch, while difficult to support shouldn't be entirely ignored. The Transverse arch is the one just behind the metatarsal bones or ball of your foot. My meaning is not to drag us into a line of thought that helps sell insoles, I hold no stock in those anyway!
For general well being and certainly, enjoyment of running, realize you should roll and massage all three of these parts of your foot. But don't ignore your body's signals indicating that more support to any part of the foot is needed. As we age, continually forcing your foot into unnatural positions will cause a worsening of pain in the feet and toes.
So, sometimes, one of those insoles with the "funny bump" in the middle of your foot...can actually benefit you more than you think. I am not a proponent of orthotics that elevate the heel, I believe this creates a greater challenge for overall foot balance. Support and protect all three arches, it will make a difference.
The Medial arch is the one where most people experience the majority of pain or think the root of their problems in the rest of their legs/feet are stemming from. We shouldn't ignore that the lateral arch, while difficult to support shouldn't be entirely ignored. The Transverse arch is the one just behind the metatarsal bones or ball of your foot. My meaning is not to drag us into a line of thought that helps sell insoles, I hold no stock in those anyway!
For general well being and certainly, enjoyment of running, realize you should roll and massage all three of these parts of your foot. But don't ignore your body's signals indicating that more support to any part of the foot is needed. As we age, continually forcing your foot into unnatural positions will cause a worsening of pain in the feet and toes.
So, sometimes, one of those insoles with the "funny bump" in the middle of your foot...can actually benefit you more than you think. I am not a proponent of orthotics that elevate the heel, I believe this creates a greater challenge for overall foot balance. Support and protect all three arches, it will make a difference.
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