The Functional Foot

Course Description

The Functional Foot course is designed to help you, the rehabilitation professional, gain a greater understanding of the function of the lower extremity, and to develop evaluation and treatment strategies for your patients with biomechanical and musculoskeletal problems. The Functional Foot is a lecture and lab course that will provide you with tools which can be implemented immediately into your clinical practice. The Functional Foot will enable you to expand your knowledge and become more specialized in caring for foot, ankle, knee and hip-related problems.

Target Audience

  • Physical Therapists
  • Physical Therapist Assistants
  • Athletic Trainers

Objectives

  1. Review the normal anatomy and kinesiology of the foot/ankle complex.
  2. Explain the relationship between normal subtalar joint function and foot function.
  3. Explain the relationship between normal subtalar joint function and lower extremity function.
  4. Review the role of the lower extremity musculature and ligamentous structures for gait (walking and running).
  5. Review the kinematics and kinetics of walking and running gait.
  6. Review the common pathomechanics and resultant dysfunctional kinetics and kinematics of the foot/ankle complex: focus on relationship between abnormal foot/ankle kinematics and lower extremity mechanics.
  7. Recognize common abnormal foot types and the typical dysfunctions associated with these foot types.
  8. Associate foot/ankle pathomechanics with lower extremity musculoskeletal dysfunction.
  9. Conduct a comprehensive lower extremity examination with a focus on lower extremity pathomechanics.
  10. Identify intervention strategies including orthotics, exercise, and education, for lower extremity musculoskeletal dysfunction resulting from foot/ankle complex pathomechanics.
  11. Consider appropriate application of customized in-shoe orthotic options for intervention of foot/ankle complex pathomechanics.
  12. Produce a pair of semi-custom, off-shelf prefabricated orthotic devices customized for individual patient use.
  13. Provide rationalization for orthotic intervention.
  14. Discuss current research related to lower extremity/foot pathomechanics and orthotic intervention.

Course Schedule

Day 1 (8 contact hours)

7:30 – 8:00

  • Registration
  • Light Breakfast Provided

8:00 -9:45

  • Biomechanical Review
  • Functional Anatomy Review of Entire LE: Focus on Foot Complex

9:45 – 10:00 Lab

  • Foots-On 1: Meet Some Feet

Break 10:00 - 10:15

10:15 - 12:00

  • Anatomy & Biomechanics of the Entire Lower Extremity (Knee, Patella-Femoral Joint & Hip)

Lunch 12:00 – 1:00 On your own

1:00 - 1:45

  • Gait, Foot types and Pathomechanics

1:45 - 2:45 Lab

  • Foots-On 2:  Finding STJ Neutral and Recognizing Foot Type

Break 2:45 -3:00

  • Snacks provided

3:00 – 4:30

  • The Biomechanical Examination

4:30 – 5:30 Lab

  • Foots-On 3: The Biomechanical Examination Demonstration 


DAY 2 (7.5 contact hours)

7:30 – 8:00

  • Barefoot Running – “Really? Or Really!”
  • Light Breakfast Provided

8:00 – 8:45 Lab

  • Foots-On 4:  Biomechanical Examination Lab

8:45 – 9:00

  • Clinical Gait Analysis

9:00 – 10:00 Lab

  • Foots-On 5: Clinical Gait Analysis & Orthotic Molding

Break 10:00 – 10:15

10:15– 11:30

  • Treatment Intervention Strategies & Case Studies

11:30 - 12:15

  • Introduction to the Foot Orthotic

Lunch 12:15 – 1:00 On your own

1:00 – 1:45

  • Orthotic Prescription

1:45 – 2:15

  • Orthotic Tweets

Break 2:15 – 2:30

  • Snacks Provided

2:30 – 3:15

  • Orthotic Fabrication

3:15 - 4:00 Lab

  • Foots-On 6:  Making an Orthotic
  • Product Demonstration:  Fabricating a Semi-Custom, Off-Shelf Orthotic Device

4:00 - 4:30

  • Pulling It All Together
  • Q & A
  • Wrap-up and Course Evaluation