Don’t Live With the Agony of ‘Da Feet’

April is Foot Health Awareness month, so what better time to discuss your feet?  Your feet, as the foundation of the body, are important and should not be overlooked.
 

Any competent builder will tell you that a firm, level foundation is the top priority when constructing a building or other structure.  If the foundation is not firm and level, nothing else that is built above it will be straight.  Look at the Pisa Tower in Italy.  The ground that the tower was built on was soft on one side and began to settle as it was being constructed.  The builders tried to compensate for the lean by constructing the remaining floors at an angle.

Just like the Pisa Tower, your feet are part of your physical foundation.  If feet are unstable, nothing else above will be straight.  Pain can develop in the feet themselves and your body will start to compensate and make changes further up the body as well.  This can lead to further dysfunction such as low back pain, mid back pain and even headaches.

A few problems in that may occur in feet themselves are:

~  Plantar fasciitis (commonly called Heel Spurs)—pain that is at the bottom of the foot or heel that hurts worse after a walking again after a time of rest.  When not severe, a short time of walking will lessen the pain.

~  Hallux valgus (also known more commonly as bunions)—this is when the great toe joint is misaligned inward and is often caused or made worse by tight fitting shoes at the toes. 

~  Pronation (fallen arch/flat feet)—flattening of the arches of varying degrees.  This can be mild or severe.  Excessive pronation of the feet causes changes in the normal gait cycle (walking and running) and produces stresses to the leg, hip, pelvis, and low back.  The result is recurring misalignments and eventual ligament instability affecting the low back and potentially the entire spine.

What to do?

·         Limit use of flip-flops, high heels, and constricting footwear.  Opt for supportive shoes when walking and running.  Make sure these shoes can ‘breathe’ to help prevent fungal infections in the feet.

·         Stretch—stretch your calf muscles.  If you have plantar fasciitis pain (described above) stretch the bottom of the foot by placing a golf ball or other similarly sized ball on the floor and rolling it around with your foot.  Do no more than a minute on each foot until you know how your foot will respond.

·         Have your feet checked by your chiropractor.  Adjustments to the bones of the feet can help rebalance the body.  Some people need additional support from custom made orthotics, but not everyone requires them.

Many women (and men!) love their shoes.  Make sure that this love of fashion doesn’t cramp your health-syle.  Take care of your feet and they will take you places!