1. Plantar Interossei

Origin: Bases and medial sides of metatarsals 3-5

Insertion: Medial sides of bases of 3rd-5th proximal phalanges

Action:

  • Adducts digit 2-4
  • Flexes metatarsophalangeal joints

Innervation: Lateral plantar nerve (S2/3)

Plantar interossei muscles.
Figure 5.2 Plantar interossei, adapted by Pngbot (mikm) from the original image by Henry Gray and Henry Vandyke Carter (Public domain).

Needling

Position: Prone

Palpation: Palpate between the metatarsals

Technique: Directly perpendicular between the metatarsals

Caution: Low – higher risk of hitting an interdigital nerve

Needling plantar interossei.
Figure 5.3 Needling plantar interossei, original image by Nadine Crocker, CC BY-NC 4.0.

Video 5.1 Needling plantar interossei, original video by Nadine Crocker, CC BY-NC 4.0.

License

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Sinew Channel Needling Copyright © 2026 by Nadine Crocker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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