Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72093
1 can't walk properly, their gait becomes distorted and injuries to the knee, hip, and lower back may soon follow. Interosseous muscle injuries are often brought on by a sprain to the Lisfranc ligament, a large and strong interosseous ligament that attaches the first cuneiform bone to the second metatarsal bone. When this powerful stabilizer of the medial mid-foot is sprained and can't do its job, the interosseous muscles will try to take over and may also become strained in the process. Another problem is that a neuroma (an inflamed nerve) in the foot may also cause confusion during the assessment process. What appears to be a neuroma may, in fact, be a severely strained interosseous muscle. Mid-foot sprains can occur at all ages, even in children as metatarsal bones of the mid-foot. Therefore, before working on an interosseous muscle strain, have the client consult their physician to rule out the possibility of a fracture. Mid-foot injuries involving fractures or dislocations of the bones often include soft-tissue injuries to both the interosseous muscles and the ligaments, and may continue to cause pain after the fractured bone(s) has healed. Interosseous muscle injuries, or mid-foot sprains, are often challenging for health professionals to assess or diagnose. The rate of missed or delayed diagnoses is approximately 24 percent. It's worth mentioning that certain medical illnesses may contribute to these missed or delayed diagnoses. For example, diabetes patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy, or those with Raynaud's disease, may have a higher threshold for pain and could be unaware of the high level of pain caused by a mid-foot sprain. Timely assessment and proper treatment greatly improve the chance of successful healing and reduce the odds for adhesive scar tissue formation and other complications. If a person young as 3 or 4 years old, but they are much more common in people who participate in sports or recreational activities like ballet, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, mountain biking, soccer, and windsurfing. Football players, as well as the elderly, are found to have a high incidence of these mid-foot sprains. INJURY VERIFICATION Metatarsal Compression Test To test for an interosseous strain, clasp your hands underneath the ball of the foot with the heels of your hands on the medial and lateral aspects of the foot and slowly exert pressure on both sides of the metatarsals by squeezing the heels of your hands together (Image 1). If the person has this injury, the squeezing will reproduce the pain. Palpation Testing Now place your thumb or index finger between the metatarsal bones on the interosseous muscles (Image 2). Apply pressure laterally and move the tip of your finger anteriorly and posteriorly while maintaining firm pressure on the edge of the metatarsal bone. Do this in several places along the bone in the area of the client's pain. This is painful when interosseous strain is present. TREATMENT CHOICES Self-Treatment To treat yourself, wrap athletic trainer's tape securely around the metatarsal region of your foot to help stabilize it. Be sure the tape doesn't bind too much during walking. Elevate your legs for five minutes once or twice a day by lying flat on the floor, bending your legs at the knees, and positioning the lower leg up on the seat of a chair. Two or three weeks of rest are often effective if the strain is not too severe. You should not walk barefoot at any time during the rehabilitation period since that places more stress on these injured muscles. If the pain recurs, adhesive scar tissue has formed and treatment is necessary. Flex and extend your toes many times throughout the day and practice the exercises described below under Exercise 110 massage & bodywork may/june 2012