Chiropractic management of painful Tarsal Tunnel Syndromes: The neurological channels in the human foot and manual Muscle Testing.

At the inner rear portion of the foot is a tunnel through which a nerve, blood vessel, and several tendons pass. As long as the foot and ankle function in a balanced manner, this tunnel and its neurovascular bundle create no problems. If, however, the ankle and foot become imbalanced in a particular and measurable way, the fibrous band that covers the tunnel becomes stretched and interferes with both normal nerve function and circulation. This area is known as the tarsal tunnel. A narrowing of the tunnel follows foot pronation, an extremely common human problem, which is an inward rolling of the ankle and foot. Unfortunately, when the problem first develops it usually does not cause symptoms. If symptoms such as pain or numbness developed immediately, the individual would recognise a problem and seek treatment. Manual muscle testing of the muscles that move the foot permits the earliest diagnosis of this oncoming problem to occur and saves many patients from enormous troubles. The muscular analysis offered by chiropractic manual muscle testing are the very muscles that help support the bones during activity to avoid narrowing of the tarsal tunnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]