Asymptomatic Foot Problems

There are a variety of types of asymptomatic foot problems. Most are due to subtle muscle imbalance in the foot, although muscle imbalances in the leg, pelvis, or spine can also contribute. Virtually all athletes have subtle muscle imbalance due to training and competition; this can come from normal wear and tear, but most often it’s due to wearing shoes that don’t properly match the needs of the foot. Normally, the wear and tear from training and racing, unless it’s excessive such as during overtraining, is corrected with recovery; rest allows the body to correct these problems quickly and naturally. And, as noted earlier in this book, a healthy body can correct its own problems quite well.

However, sometimes the body does not correct these problems and they become chronic. This could be due to insufficient recovery but more often is caused by poor shoe fit or over-supported shoes. When this happens, a significant imbalance can occur, leading to symptomatic foot problems. Basically, if you train too hard one day, or longer than expected, you may cause some muscle imbalance that would normally correct itself. But it may not, and this will cause an asymptomatic foot problem. If unresolved—meaning the body or a health-care practitioner does not find and correct the problem—it can become a symptomatic problem. (This same scenario can occur anywhere in the body.)

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Muscle imbalance can often arise from a variety of problems, which are often asymptomatic: the trauma associated with overtraining, the repetitive foot stress of cycling or running in shoes not matching the feet, or other stresses.

Muscle imbalance can also be caused by a local problem. A sprained ankle is a common example of a trauma that causes a gross over-stretching of muscles. Other trauma can do the same, such as a blow directly to the muscle in a cycling accident. Even minor trauma, such as regular wear and tear or minor repetitive stress from poor fitting shoes, can sometimes cause muscle inhibition.

Many different types of footwear can cause muscles to become imbalanced. Over-supported shoes, sports shoes that are too soft, and even dress shoes with higher heels or those that don’t fit just right are common examples. In addition, supports such as orthotics, braces, arch supports, and other devices can sometimes cause muscle imbalance, especially if the supports don’t precisely match the foot or if the support is used too long.

Improper stretching routines can also cause muscle imbalance.