Feet – What do they have to do with my overall health??
Have you ever looked at the bottoms of your shoes? Do you ever wonder why they wear out the way they do? Some people have obvious wear and tear on the outsides of their heels, others may show wear on the insides of their large toes. Our feet tell us things. Do we pay attention or just shrug it off?
Our feet carry a lot of weight! Adding to the stress can be high impact activities. When we run or do high impact activities, we are putting 4-5x our own body weight onto our feet. Your feet are a complex system of 52 bones, 66 joint, 214 ligaments and 38 tendons and muscles. The weight-bearing nature and repetitive use of the feet predispose them for skeletal misalignment’s and painful overuse conditions. It seems reasonable then that even the slightest imbalance can cause multiple aches and pains in your body.There is a kinetic chain that begins at your toes and makes it way up through your body to your skull. Your foot and ankle joints are the first links in this chain. Having a solid and stable foot (platform) is important in establishing proper functioning of this chain.
Do you have knee pain or pain in your hips? How about lower back pain? These can be possible symptoms of issues with your feet.
Chiropractic treatment can reestablish nerve flow in the feet and help in correcting any misalignment’s. It can also help correct proper foot motion. Chronic musculoskeletal health problems, such as knee osteoarthritis can be associated with faulty footwear and excessive joint loading. A doctor of chiropractic focuses on restoring the natural foot strength and flexibility through a more natural method of treating foot and ankle ailments. It is a noninvasive approach that recognizes and respects your body’s own inherent design.
It is important however to get to the proper source of the misalignment. A good chiropractic doctor will assess your pain and discomforts, and look into possible causes with you.
Chiropractic care may correct alignment issues, however, Orthotics may be necessary in providing long-term relief and correction of misalignment problems with your feet. Wearing proper footwear is important in providing proper foot anatomy and function. Your footwear should be considered when treating foot problems. It is not at all uncommon for a Chiropractor to suggest orthotics to help with the long-term aid in preventing further issues relating to your feet.
Orthotics are commonly prescribed to help with many ailments of the feet, such as hammer toes, heel spurs, metatarsal problems, bunions, diabetic ulcerations and numerous other problems. They can also help minimize shin splints, back pain and strain on joints and ligaments.
For more information about the use of Orthotics and ways that we can assess your personal orthotic needs please click on the link below:
Orthotics – Are they really necessary??
Would love to know if you found this article helpful and if you plan to investigate further the use of orthotics in helping with any foot problems you may be experiencing.