Good explanation of the connection but would prefer functional corrective exercises/movement practices for limited MPJ dorsiflexion instead of the bandaid approach of orthotics or Hokas, LOL.

According to the EMG gait research out of Rancho Los Amigos, the hip extension during terminal stance (which is what you are describing) is passive. The gluteus maximus, like the quad, are only active in healthy walking for a flicker (>20% MVC) during the loading response, to control the external hip flexion moment.

She is amazing. Not many know of this and they think deadlifts and squats will activate their glutes. She definitely knows bottom to Top. Skipping and running without heel striking is the best to activate glutes.

Great info. Thanks!

Hello do you have any videos on how we should walk. I was told to take shorter strides in barefoot shoe. Confused! Many thanks Karen

Love all this, Doc Emily! Psoas as in the Toe-as is my current situation of study with emphasis on breathing habits and Functional Lines. Your products are off the charts, supportive tools for movement potential. Thanks!!

👋💚 You are just awesome! “Functional Pediatrist” rocks

Thank you!

Thank you 🙏

Thank god someone finally is saying something right

Thank you for this! My child has been in PT for a couple years now struggling with tight calves and i notice she out toes which at one point someone had mentioned could be due to something with the hips. However, since she seems so flexible in her hips everyone just seems instead to focus so much on stretching her calves and increasing her dorsiflexion. She's just now getting her THIRD set of AFOs to aid in stretching too, which she doesn't like wearing outside the home so we only wear them at home to minimize effect on her mental health. She also has a forward lean when just standing which everyone attributed to a weak core and tight hamstrings, which I agree with to a point, but just felt like we were all missing something. And I'm sure now that it's there has been no focus at all on strengthening the glutes. She had bird dogs in her home routine for a bit for core strengthening. They did try to get her to do bridges, but she feels so awkward doing them she refuses to do them. I'm going to bring the bird dogs back into the routine along with standing leg lifts (exercises I did when in PT myself several years ago with hip & low back pain). Again, thank you for bringing this up and explaining the connection!

Morton's toe is the culprit for me that weakened my gluten and created a ton of pain and dysfunction in my hip, knees and QL! The thing that saved me was a tiny little pad under my first metatarsal, it has been absolutely like magic. After years of chronic pain and agony, the answer was in Janet Trave;; and Dr. Mrton's 1930's podiatry and trigger point books!

I wondered why so many ppl walk with their foot turned out. Especially the right foot. I always thought it was because we have more weight on the right. Since most ppl are right handed. Slightly more muscle right side and internally more weight.

How do you fix it then?

I used Dansko at work and didn't need it for limited MPJ flexion. And b/c it limited my MPJ flexion it caused me to have trouble activating my calf muscles properly! Does this seem accurate? I have switched to a more flexible shoe and worked to get my muscle activation back.

Now I'm totally confused. Everybody's saying that one should take shorter steps, because these long ones nowadays are not natural and only possible in cushioned shoes, but not barefoot. And now you're are saying that we SHOULD make long steps, do I understand that right? I actually try to shorten my very long strides because of metatarsalgia pain ( the big toe Is very flexibel though) What would be an ideal stride length and frequency for a person of let's say 6 ft?

I’ve got a floating big toe and a hammertoe on the adjacent toe. I switched to minimalist shoes after wearing Hokas. Now it feels like I’m pushing off on my 2nd toe which rotates and moves laterally. This is very painful. Should I go back to wearing my Hokas?

💯💯💯💯

Recommending people get rocker shoes or orthotics is not a solution for anything. Those are crutches. Crutches are not a solution for correcting the way somebody walks.

𝐩яⓞ𝓂𝓞Ş𝐦 🌹