The Crazy Thing That Can Happen to Your Feet

If you’re like most people, you probably do not spend a ton of time, if any,
thinking about the muscles in your feet. In fact, you likely can’t even name
them. Think about it: You know your biceps and triceps are in your upper
arms. You’re certainly aware that the front side of your thighs is your
quads, and the back sides are your hamstrings. But the muscles that lets
you lift your big toe and press it against the ground, that’s called…uh….the,
um…

Abductor hallucis is the phrase you’re looking for. You were just about to
say that, right? You can group it in with a larger formation of muscles
known as the plantar intrinsics, a not-particularly-well-understood group
that both begin and end within the confines of the foot.

Only recently, researchers have been able to take a detailed look at what,
exactly, these muscles do. Among those leading the charge is Luke A. Kelly,
PhD, a biomechanics research fellow at the University of Queensland in
Australia. His work over the past five years has shown that the plantar
intrinsics play a crucial role in maintaining balance, especially when you
are standing on one leg. Why is this important??