Barefoot: Can Fallen Arches Be Rehabilitated?

Barefoot running is something I have recently become interested in.  I suppose it was only a matter of time since I lean toward 'old ways of living'. I prefer to call it "Earthy Living".

Nevertheless, over the years I have wondered, why do we all have fallen arches with all of the foot healthcare that goes into our daily lives?  Our feet are protected, coddled, padded, painted, massaged, etc.  Then it came to me... Are shoes like a corset?  Corsets historically left women with barely enough muscle to sit up on their own because the corset took over the job and the core muscles (stomach and back) became lax and eventually could no longer do the job of holding their person upright.  This very thing is referred to in the book, "The Corset - A Cultural History" by Valerie Steele,

"...weaken the back and abdominal muscles resulting in atrophy..."

and

Side Effects of Corsets

"...Abdominal muscle atrophy: Corsets worn extremely tight can cause the body to become dependent on them for support of the torso, allowing the abdominal muscles to waste away from lack of use..."

What if we have done the same to our feet?  What if the very things that were supposed to 'protect' our feet, have actually done damage to them and everything around them? (fallen arches, weak calves)  What if this is the source of so many leg problems today?

Steele's book goes on to state that if atrophy has not been extended too long or too far, it may be possible to rebuild muscle strength and integrity.  Might the same type of philosophy exist for fallen arches and weak calf muscles from walking in an unnatural heel-toe pattern?

It's a hopeful way of thinking. After all, witness the extremely out of shape humans who move on to look fabulous simply by virtue of working multiple muscle groups in their bodies.  And not only do they look fabulous, they are stronger and healthier than in their previously flabby state, even if that flabby state was 'thin'.

And so I decided to try strengthening my feet and all the connecting muscle groups around them by doing some barefoot exercises.  Some information I found on the internet were very helpful regarding retraining one's self to walk or run 'properly'.  I used some of the techniques and found them to have some seeming validity.

Everyone seems to agree that this is something that should be done gradually:

One site explained that a very quick way to learn the pattern of barefoot life is to begin by walking on gravel.  So I did that on the first day.  "Ouch".  I ended up with my arms in the air looking like I was trying to fly somewhere rather than walk.

That said, it certainly did illustrate the type of 'setting down' of the foot that one is more naturally inclined to do without the use of shoes.  It is more of a roll from the outer ball of the foot toward the inner ball of the foot while evenly spreading the weight over the upper 2/3 of the foot.

Here is a pretty good example on Youtube of how the foot should move.

Another site went on to explain that the calf muscles are extremely under-worked after years and years of heel-toe walking.  I found this to be true when I tried my first 2km run the next day on a track. (A track because it will take a good long time for me to be able to run on gravel I think)  The first interesting thing is that, though slower, I could run the whole 2km, and could have run farther very easily.  I do not yet know if this is because I was barefoot (socks only) or because I've reduced my grains to only once a week (popcorn on movie night).  However, either way, I did run the whole distance without stopping to walk at all.  My calves definitely started feeling taxed after the first time around the track.  It wasn't too hard to work through it but I did limit myself only to 2km to prevent over-stressing my gastrocnemius and my soleus (where I am definitely feeling some strain today).

There are two possible benefits from barefooting:  Earthing by Dr. Sinatra and correction of fallen arches (which is my goal).

According to Livestrong.com,

"...Correcting Arch with Ankle Strength

The large gross movement muscles in the ankle can also help fix your arches. Standing calf raises work these muscles. They are done by placing your toes on the edge of a stair or raised surface with your heels hanging down and then lifting yourself up onto your toes. This will make your heels higher than your toes. This movement help to restore the arches of your feet and strengthen the entire foot and ankle complex as well...", 

This is exactly the type of motion one performs naturally when not wearing shoes.

And the Society for Barefoot Living has posted some very intriguing and inspiring study notes that have been published through the ages, of the possibility of correcting fallen arches.

And so I will continue with my experiment as I get both the benefits of a molecular exchange with the earth and nicer looking calf muscles.  I will take before and after photos and post them if there are, in fact, visible changes.

For now, I will say that my starting point measurements, as of 2012-04-04, are:

just under the kneecap: 31cm
widest point of calf:  36cm
10cm above the top of the ankle bone: 27.5cm
ankle bone: 22cm
Description of the back of the lower leg: non-descript.  No apparent muscle visuals even upon flexing.

Can I rehabilitate my fallen arches or are they too atrophied at this point and beyond repair? :queue mystery music here: