The Importance of Core Strength

Consider the person with pain in the arch of the foot and big toe whose problem originates from a deficiency in a group of muscle including the abdominal, upper hip, and low back musculature called the CORE muscles.  Arguably the most important CORE muscle is the transverse abdominis.  This muscle runs horizontally through the abdominal wall and creates a compressive stabilizing force to the entire lower trunk area.  This muscle group can develop weakness or lack of coordination due to such things as low back injury or poor posture.  Lack of function of the transverse abdominis creates an unstable foundation for the pelvis and entire leg.  Typical of this instability will be developed weakness in the gluteal muscles of the hip.  One of the primary functions of the gluteal is to control the femur (thigh bone) from rotating excessively inward as weight is placed through the leg during walking.  Lower down the leg, the posterior tibialis muscle lies behind the tibia (shin bone) and extends through the inside of the ankle and in to the foot where it provides muscular support to the arch.  As the normal inward rotation of the lower leg occurs during gait this muscle helps stop the rotation of the leg on to the ground.  If there is excessive rotation of the leg due to the instability at the CORE, the posterior tibialis muscle will eventually be unable to keep up to the demands placed on it and the arch will fall.  When the arch falls the big toe will assume an outwardly pointed position causing stress to the involved joints.  The end result of these mechanical faults is pain in the arch and / or big toe and loss of function in strength and balance.

The patient will present to their physician with complaints of arch and toe pain.  The physician may prescribe to the patient an arch support or other local treatments.  These treatments may help with symptoms and even function, however, until the real cause of the problem is diagnosed and addressed these treatments will have minimal success.

And so it is with our lives.  The CORE of our lives is our character foundation with each muscle of that foundation being made up of individual character traits.  The traits are descriptions of Truth by which life is governed by.  These descriptions of Truth are common throughout humanity and are the fundamental building blocks of living your BEST LIFE.  Weakness in our character will result in the symptoms of dysfunctions in areas such as relationship and purpose in life.  Addressing the symptoms of faulty character without addressing the CORE will always fail.