Dear Gait Guys:
I compete at a high level in a variety of sports, but over the past five years I have developed tremendous discomfort and occasional pain. I have talked to orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists with no results. I had MRIs done on my hip, shoulder and knee (my problem areas) but they came back clean. Finally I saw your article on the “solitary externally rotated foot”. My symptoms of the outward turned foot, weak glutes, uncomfortable patellar tracking and limited hip rotation. Also, my shoulder seems to be externally rotated as well which causes pain and inhibits my pec major from firing. You guys are the only ones who have come close to figuring out my problems and are the only refuge from my frustration. How can I fix this? Are their some good exersizes and why have no physical therapists heard of the “kickstand effect”?
Thank you so much,
(name withheld, NW)
_____
Dear NW
We loosely used the name “kickstand Effect” to describe in part what the foot is acting as. By turning out the foot into the frontal plane you are engaging more of the frontal plane for stability, stability which you likely do not have in the frontal plane by the primary pattern stabilizer(s) and or synergists.
Without more clinical hands on exam we are at a loss to help you, remember a clean objective examination followed by a solid screen of movement patterns is always paramount, something we just cannot obtain over the internet. We would love to give theories and exercises, but then we would just be shooting from the hip and and in a case like this more compensations (if we give the wrong recommendations) is not what you need at your level and level of frustration. But, we wanted to share this kind readers case and attach the original article they were referring to. After all, it has been more than a year since we wrote it.
Here is the link: “THE SOLITARY EXTERNALLY ROTATED FOOT”
SHAWN AND IVO
the gait guys
