Why the cuboid?

Manipulation of the cuboid

Just a quick post

Something that has come to my attention is the way in which a cuboid manipulation is performed and it occurred to me that this technique is effective due to the mechanical compensations occurring at this articulation in the event of pronation. When the arch flattens the cuneiforms approximate inferiorly, this causes the lateral cuneiform to pull the cuboid into eversion. When performing a manipulation of the cuboid the practitioner places their thumb on the medical aspect of the cuboid to promote inversion, the other hand position is on the 4^th and 5^th met into plantarflexion and adduction (components of supination) resulting in a repositioning of the cuboid and allowing other techniques designed to combat pronation to be more effective. I have found that this technique almost always achieves cavitation in patients with pronated feet and is not effective in supinated or neutral arches. The same philosophy applies with thrusts directed at the cuneiforms (non-effective in the pronated foot and effective in supinated feet).