Effect of sole plate therapy on the elbow flexor muscles for flat foot

Abstract

The sole plate corrects the alignment of the foot, and through the kinetic chain, its effect spills over to the knee joint, hip joint, pelvis, and trunk. In previous studies, it has been reported that correcting foot alignment has a ripple effect on the scapula. However, there are no reports regarding the effect on the elbow flexor muscles. This study aimed to determine if plantar insert therapy, which corrects foot alignment, has an immediate effect on improving elbow flexor strength in patients with external flat feet. Subjects were 10 men diagnosed with bilateral flat foot. The sole plate was evaluated by visual inspection and palpation of the subtalar joint, It was made to guide the subtalar joint in the neutral direction. In this study, it is speculated that the reason for the improvement of elbow flexor muscle strength from wearing the sole plate for patients with external flat foot was stabilizing the foot and eliciting floor reaction forces through the use of the sole plate. Secondarily, the alignment of the scapula was changed by wearing the sole plate, and posture was corrected, making it easier to perform the scapula was induced to rotate the scapula upward.