How the Tripod of the Foot Can Help Your Knee Pain?

My wife looked over my shoulder while I was reviewing the below video.

She asked, “What are you doing with your smelly feet in the video?”

I said, “Showing people how smelly feet can help with their knee pain!”


~ Rick


How the Tripod of the Foot Can Help Your Knee Pain?

==> Click here to watch How the Tripod of the Foot Can Help Your Knee Pain?

I wanted to answer a customer question and I think it would be a benefit to you.

Will Shoe Insoles Help the Tripod of My Foot?

The question is from Robert G. and it has to do with the Tripod on the foot. He said:

“I am currently doing your “Fix My Knee Pain” program. I am trying to concentrate on the tripods of the feet when I walk. I noticed I naturally land on the inward part predominantly. Should I get some store bought inserts so I can force my feet and ankles into the correct position?”

Robert, the quick answer is — I would not recommend going to the store and getting store bought or over the counter insoles for your feet.

What I would recommend is to work on trying to reeducate your body, your feet, and your lower body, to be in that tripod of the foot so that your lower body ends up being in better alignment. It helps to decrease the stress on your joints, but specifically the knee, and then allows you to build stability in that correct and good position.

Now, if you are not too sure what that tripod of the foot is, it ends up being 3 points on your foot.

TRIPOD of the Feet

I am looking at the 3 points on the foot that I want to work on. And that’s where the foot is ideally being in the best position or most stable position in order to create the best alignment for your lower body.

I am looking at balancing on the 1st Metatarsal Phalangeal Joint, the 5th Metatarsal Phalangeal Joint, and the Calcaneus or the Heel. If I look at them, they have this triangle form.

What often happen with a lot of people are two things.

First, they will end up being Toed Out. That toeing out affects that alignment of that lower body, increasing the risk or putting more stress on the knees.

Second is the Flattening of the feet.

Toed Out & Flattening of the feet

That toeing out and that flattening take us out of that ideal tripod of the foot.

I move the feet more not perfectly straight ahead, a Touch Out, but I am working on trying to be on those 3 points of the foot. Ideally, you have to take your shoes and socks off and try to get that right connection of being on those 3 points on your feet.

Touch Out

This ends up being a great time. I know here in Vancouver it’s summer time so the weather is good and nice, so it’s easier to take your shoes and socks off and have your feet get better connected with the ground in order to provide a nice and stable platform that the tripod of your foot provides for the rest of your legs and lower body.

Work on trying to get that tripod of the foot standing in that tripod of the foot. Other things that might end up helping, is this collapsing of the foot ends up being a lengthening of the longitudinal arch in the foot.

longitudinal arch in the foot

I can get into that position and slightly shorten up that longitudinal arch and try to get into that tripod of the foot. Now I will end up feeling the tripod a lot better if I am on a flat surface. This is a carpeted surface so I don’t feel it as well because there is cushioning that is happening in the carpet. But on a harder surface I can feel that a lot better.

The next thing to do to shorten up that arch a little bit to get more in that tripod of the foot; I’ve moved my feet if am toeing out to being more not perfectly straight ahead, a touch out, being on that tripod of the foot.

And then the other thing is lightly externally rotating that tibia or lower leg and externally rotating the thigh or the femur. That will end up moving me out of this collapsed position more on that tripod of the foot.

Test Things Out

What I will get you to do is test out how it ends up feeling, or go squatting and see how your squat looks when it comes to how much you can lift with your feet flat and going into a squatting position, and seeing how it feels and what you can lift, and then move in to a good position where you get a good tripod of the foot.

Remember, I’ve shortened up that arch just a touch. I’ve externally rotated a little bit the shin and the lower body and then I end up going into that squat and see how much more powerful you are with the nice stable foot, good alignment with the knees and hips and seeing what the difference ends up being.

It’s a lot easier having a nice stable foot doing that squat movement as opposed to the toe out and flat foot and having the tripod being lost.

Wrap Up

There you go Robert. A little bit of a long answer, as you mentioned something that I end up highlighting in the Fix My Knee Pain program because when people that lack that tripod in that foot it puts unnecessary stress on that knee.

And just looking at my other Fix My Knee Pain and Fix My Shoulder Pain and the upcoming Fix My Back Pain programs, what you will end up having to do is reshape that joint from the outside and inside in order to change that joint from a painful joint to a pain-free joint.

And within the knee, getting that tripod and working on that tripod is a key thing to change that joint from a painful joint into a pain-free joint.

If you or one of your friends or family members or colleagues is having knee pain, you can refer them on to this video and they can look and check the tripod of their foot and see if that will decrease the stress on the knee and get them on the right path to pain-free knees.

If you are looking for something to help you with your knee pain, check out Fix My Knee Pain:


Take care and bye bye.

 Rick Kaselj, MS.