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4 The proximal attachments of the flexor digitorum longus can be accessed on the medial side of the lower leg, midway between ankle and knee, on the posterior aspect of the tibia (Images 4, 5, and 6). To stimulate a Golgi response here, wrap your hands around the shin and feel into the structures just behind the tibia with your fingers. This is a sensitive area, so proceed slowly. By asking your client to flex (curl) the toes, you'll be able to locate the precise attachments of the flexor digitorum longus on the posterior side of the tibia. Rather than sliding or scrubbing, use firm but gentle static pressure here, as your client continues to actively curl and uncurl the toes. Asking your client to "gather up the sheet with your toes" is an effective cue. Feel for a release and softening of the tissues under your touch, as well as a shift in the initiation of your client's movement. Once the Golgi response has engaged, movements will initiate more gradually and smoothly, and with finer control; in other words, with less of an initial jerk or all-or-nothing contraction. Repeat this slow, steady release in several places along the mid-section of the tibia where the flexor attaches, right up next to the bone, wherever you feel muscle contraction with toe flexion. Then, finish your work here with longer or gliding strokes to ease out of this sensitive area. Working the long flexors in this way will address toe curling (flexion); we'll complement this with work on the long extensor to address the upward bending (extension) of the MTP joints. EXTENSOR DIGITORUM LONGUS TECHNIQUE The extensor digitorum longus attaches to the medial surface of the fibula, all along the proximal three- fourths of that bone's length. It also attaches to the intermuscular septa and the interosseous membrane of the leg, which span the space between the fibula and the tibia. To work the long toe extensor attachments, use the same around- the-shin grip that you used for the flexor digitorum longus techniques, but this time, your thumbs will do the work (Images 7, 8, and 9, page 116). Find the front of the fibula by sinking just anterior to the long, ropy peroneals on the lateral side of the leg. Care for your thumbs by avoiding hyperextension—maintain a slight flexion in each of your thumbs' joints. The extensor attachments can be tricky to find—the tissue here is dense, compact, and undifferentiated on many people. Sometimes, using a broader, more superficial technique to prepare the front of the leg first can help make the extensor attachments more accessible. One possibility is the Tibialis Anterior Technique, described in "Working With Ankle Mobility, Part 2," (May/June 2011, page 113). 5 6 Flexor Digitorum Longus Technique (Images 4, 5, and 6). The long toe flexors lie on the posterior side of the tibia. This is a sensitive area and easily bruised, so use gentle pressure and active toe flexion (curling), rather than sliding or moving your fingers. Images 4 and 5 courtesy Advanced-Trainings.com. Image 6 courtesy Primal Pictures. All used by permission. Celebrate ABMP's 25th anniversary and you may win a refund on your membership. ABMP.com. 115