Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/108504
6 division is not mobile, the arches become fixed in relation to one another, negatively affecting pronation/ supination balance, arch spring, and overall adaptability of the foot and ankle. The Anterior/Posterior Arch Mobility Technique. Dorsal/plantar mobility of the metatarsals allows for arch spring and foot adaptability. Use an up/ down shearing motion, in both directions, to assess and release each metatarsal ray of the foot. Image courtesy Advanced-Trainings.com. Used by permission. foot (such as the tendons, plantar fascia, and spring ligaments) to absorb shock and store energy for release into the next step. When the metatarsals are fixed, undifferentiated, and immobile, the foot lacks both the spring and adaptability necessary for efficient and comfortable function. Begin the Anterior/Posterior Arch Mobility Technique by assessing the mobility of individual metatarsal bones. Using a firm grip, move two rays of the foot against each other in the sagittal plane (Image 6). This does not involve squeezing and releasing, nor is it kneading the soft tissue of the foot. With a constant amount of grip pressure, isolate the up/down (dorsal/plantar) motion of each metatarsal bone in turn, moving it back and forth against its neighbor in a slow but full scrubbing motion. Feel for mobility restrictions in either direction. When you find a direction that is less free, use the same full anterior/posterior motion to increase mobility. Make sure the distal ends of the metatarsal are mobile, as this will lay the groundwork for individual toe adaptability and range. Check and release the proximal ends of the metatarsals, too, along with each accompanying tarsal bone. Be thorough, scrubbing each pair of metatarsal rays against one another in turn. Especially important is the division between the rays of toes three and four, since it is here that the medial arch meets the lateral arch (Image 4). This division extends proximally between the third cuneiform and the cuboid, and then between the talus and the calcaneus, and is often the first intermetatarsal space to lose adaptability. When this 116 massage & bodywork march/april 2013 Intermetatarsal Space Technique It bears repeating: the spaces between the bones are just as important as the bones themselves. Without the differentiation that gives adaptability, strength turns to rigidity, both in the feet and in the rest of the body. The Intermetatarsal Space Technique is a straightforward way to regain lost lateral differentiation and adaptability in the forefoot. Using your thumb and fingers, feel into the space between each metatarsal from above and below the foot. Staying well within your client's range of comfort, use enough pressure to feel all the way through the foot, as if touching the thumb and fingers together between the bones (Images 7 and 8). As always, avoid pressure that elicits sharp, electric, or other uncomfortable sensations, since there are sensitive nerves in the intermetatarsal spaces. Once your fingers and thumbs are in position, wait for the foot to yield. In the time it takes the tissues to respond, you can typically take two or three slow breaths of your own. After you feel the initial release, you can facilitate a deeper response by asking for slow, focused, active movement. Have your client gradually flex and extend the toes, and then the ankle, as you maintain the space between the metatarsals with your fingers and thumb. There is almost no movement of your touch; any sliding that occurs results from your client's active movements. In addition to helping the tissues release, holding the bones apart as your client moves adds an element of movement reeducation, as your client's nervous system learns what it feels like to move the foot while maintaining width across the foot. Repeat this cycle of static-