11/11/2021
- Dr Mahlon Locke was a Canadian physician who attracted international attention in the 1930's with an unusual therapy. Through a process of foot manipulation, popularly known as "toe-twisting," Locke seemed able to relieve many intractable cases of arthritis as well as a variety of related afflictions. Sufferers flocked to his clinic in Williamsburg, Ontario and, at the height of his fame, he was tending literally hundreds of people each day.
Dr Locke's interest in foot manipulation began during his Edinburgh
days. Along with the usual lectures, students were taught that certain
deformities, such as fallen arches, could be corrected manually.
Unlike his colleagues, however, Locke came to believe that foot manipulation the posterior tibial nerve which, in turn, created a chain reaction of pain and posture problems elsewhere in the body." The cause of incorrect alignment might be congenital deformity, trauma, or infection but often the arches would collapse simply because a patient had risen from bed too soon after a bout of flu. With the muscles and ligaments insufficiently toned to support the weight of the body, the arches were vulnerable to damage. Locke reasoned that by restoring the correct position of the tarsal and metatarsal bones, pressure on the nerves and blood vessels would be eliminated and associated problems would disappear gradually.
