There are three arches of the foot that help maintain stability of the foot and lower limb, help absorb body weight during stance and assist in our walking and running gait.
These three arches are the medial longitudinal arch, lateral longitudinal arch and the transverse arch. 
The arches of the foot are maintained by the positioning of bones, ligaments, tendons and, of course, muscles and muscle activation.
It is important that these muscles have good strength and flexibility to help maintain optimal function of these arches and optimal foot stability and mobility.
The muscles that help maintain the medial longitudinal arch include:
Tibialis Anterior and Posterior
Peroneus Longus
Flexor Digitorum Longus
Abductor Hallucis
Flexor Digitorum Brevis
Plantar Aponeurosis
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The muscles that support the lateral longitudinal arch include:
Peroneus Longus and Brevis
Flexor Digitorum Longus (lateral) and Brevis
Abductor Digiti Minimi
The muscles that support the transverse arch include:
Small intrinsic foot muscles – Dorsal Interossei and Abductor Hallucis
Peroneus Longus Tendon
While a lot of people might not have heard of many of these muscles, they play a vital role in maintaining our overall balance and stability and allow us to be active.
If you are getting pain through any of the arches of your feet or are concerned that your muscles have become weakened and want to improve their function, Book an appointment with any of our podiatrists at Podiatry HQ on (03) 8645 9800 or,
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