Calcaneus
The calcaneus or heel bone is the largest and strongest bone in the foot. This bone helps to support the foot and is important in normal walking motions. The joint on top of the calcaneus is responsible for allowing the foot to rotate inwards and outwards. It is a vulnerable area subject to a lot of stress. The heel is the most frequently injured bone in the foot. This bone can be injured in a fall, twisting the foot or an accident. Activities repeated for long periods of time, as commonly seen in athletics, such as basketball players, distance runners and ballet dancers, who run and jump on hard surfaces will stress the heel bone. Jumping and landing on your feet can drive the talus bone down into the calcaneus bone.
The calcaneus bone can slip out of alignment and shift to either side. When this happens, the way one walks and their relationship with the Earth will be altered. Ankle sprains occur when there is a stretching or tearing of the muscles, tendons and ligaments surrounding the ankle joint. They can become pulled and torn when the ankle is forced into an abnormal position. The most common cause of an ankle sprain is applying weight to the foot when it is rolled in or out. This commonly happens when running, jumping or walking on an uneven surface.
When the heel bone has slipped out of position, movement of the navicular can be compromised. When the calcaneus bone is out of alignment, the leg will become shorter and eventually affect the balance of the pelvis. It is common for both the fibula and the calcaneus to be out of alignment at the same time.
When the calcaneus bone is out of alignment, the Circulation/Sex meridian involvement will affect the reproductive organs in both females and males. A mis-aligned heel will more than likely express symptoms on the same side of the body.
Color associated with the calcaneus is red.
TESTING PROCEDURE
1.Test strong reference muscle.
2.Touch left heel. Test. When test remains locked, the heel bone is in alignment. When test unlocks, the heel bone is out of alignment.
3.Touch right heel. Test.
CORRECTION
1. Have student sit in a chair or lie on back. Remove shoe and sock.
2. Cup your hands with palms on heel. Clasp fingers together for support. Instruct student to deep breathe, as a new level of consciousness may be experienced, in other words, the correction may be painful.
3. Keep wrists stationary while slowly and firmly squeezing the palms together for 8 -10 seconds. Release slowly.Re-test.
It is important to keep the pelvis in alignment. An imbalance of the pelvis can cause the calcaneus to slip back out of alignment because of the difference in the length of the legs. When the calcaneus is out of position, it can also cause the pelvis to rotate.
When a weak calcaneus bone continues to go out of alignment, shoes with proper support are recommended. High heel and flat shoes like beach thongs are not a good choice, because they offer no support to the foot and ankle. Most foot supports are okay as long as they are used on both feet and are the same height.
Icing is an effective way to release trauma to the injured area. Apply ice pack for 15-20 minutes at a time to help reduce swelling and assist in the healing process. The effects of icing diminishes significantly after 48 hours. After the icing, a castor oil pack will help to further minimize swelling. Compression bandages for support should be snug but not tight.
An ankle stretching exercise to strengthen the muscles ‘toe circles’ is designed to move the ankle through it’s entire range of motion. Slowly rotate the ankle only, with the leg remaining stationary. Do 10 rotations in each direction. May be done lying down or sitting.
ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS:
Sprained, rolled or twisted ankle. Shuffling feet while walking. Pelvis rotation. Sciatic nerve pain. One leg longer or shorter. Pain in the lower back while standing. Poor posture. Prolonged standing. Pain in heel area or bottom of foot. Stiff foot. Foot rotation. ‘Achilles heel’ (a small but mortal weakness). Swelling. Bruising. Painful to put weight on foot or heel. Unable to stand or walk on toes. Heel deformity. Heel spurs. Difficulty running. Reproductive or prostate problems. Menstrual irregularities. Tender breasts. Headaches. Improper or poor fitting foot wear. Stubbornness. Lack
