Many people experience sore, tired feet at the end of the day, or after they have been standing or walking for a prolonged period of time.
What causes sore, tired feet?
A common misconception is that sore, tired feet are the result of shock forces created when an individual walks, runs, or stands for long periods of time.
In reality, sore, tired feet are the result of poor or maladapted neuromuscular function that has been conditioned by footwear use.
Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles and tendons.
The functional movement and stability of our feet is controlled by muscles.
Foot muscles comprise two groups:
- intrinsic muscles, the small muscles in the feet that primarily control ‘fine-tuned’ movements, such as picking something up with the toes and
- extrinsic muscles, which have muscle bodies located in the lower leg connected within the feet by long tendons. These extrinsic muscles are principally involved in propulsion and control the stability of the foot arch systems, the foot’s adaption to the terrain, and the management of weight-bearing forces.
When the extrinsic muscles don’t do their job, as a result of maladapted neuromuscular function, the intrinsic muscles will attempt to take on the load, causing them to overwork and fatigue, which results in sore, tired feet.