Welcome to the Health Plus Minute. The late comedian George Carlin said, When you step on the brakes, your life is in your foot’s hand. Your feet are often forgotten. We cover them up with shoes and stand on top of them, yet they are the very foundation upon which we function. Movement effectiveness depends on how our feet interact with the ground. The foot has to do three things well. Absorb shock, stabilize the body over the foot, and propel us. The shock absorption is called pronation, and the propulsion is created by foot supination. How optimally your foot pronates and supinates is influenced by the structural relationship between your lower leg, the ball of your foot, and your heel. There are five basic foot types whose construction affects the very way your foot interacts with the ground. Structure governs function. Understanding starts with a biomechanical analysis of the foot during walking, moving, and running. The foot type is identified, and a connection is made between how you move and your complaints. Effective treatment can occur with custom foot orthotics to alter and modify movement patterns to optimize function. Let us give your feet a hand. ProMotion Physical Therapy and Functional Fitness. Be connected.