Pain Relief Could Be Only Two Feet Away!
By Lee Hazen, DC
 
When people visit me as a Chiropractor, they are sometimes surprised that I am concerned with their feet.  I am because your feet are the foundation of your body and must function properly for healthy posture. Like any building, the body's foundation must be stable to correctly support the weight above.  
If the arches in one or both of your feet collapse (flat foot), or if one leg is longer than the other, your body isn't getting correct postural support.  

Without support, foot problems may contribute to stress or pain in other parts of your body, even if your feet don't hurt.  If your feet do hurt, the most common cause of foot pain is called plantar fascitis.  This is inflammation of the soft tissue under the heel and arch of the foot.  Plantar fascitis is caused by improper biomechanics (an imbalance in the foot).  It can lead to heel spurs as well.  Fortunately it is very treatable through a combination of adjustments to the bones of the foot, fitting of orthotics (foot inserts), anti-inflammatories, rest, and foot exercises.
 
At birth most of us have perfect feet.  However, by age 20, 80% develop some type of mechanical problem.  By age 40, foot problems of some form or another develop in almost everyone. Not surprising when each of us take up to 10,000 steps each day, mostly on hard services which punish our feet, particularly if our shoes are improperly fitted.
 
During standing and walking, our bodies are subjected to natural forces and postures that can inflict mechanical stress and strain throughout the interrelated chain of joints and muscles.  When foot imbalances are present or if shoes are improperly fitted, there is a negative impact on the knees, hips, pelvis, and spine.  Some patients must have these abnormal forces reduced before they can achieve improved kinetic (movement) function.  

Improper balance and function of the feet lead to excessive rotation of the lower leg, stress on the knee and twisting or tilting of the pelvis and spine.  Tilting the pelvis places tension on the muscles and connective tissues, eventually resulting in chronic back problems.  Also, high levels of heel-strike shock from a breakdown of the body's natural shock absorbers can occur. The shock wave transmits up the kinetic chain, resulting in painful symptoms up to the neck and head, slowing recovery of leg and spine injuries, and aggravation of other conditions.
 
Your shoes are important contributor to your health and spinal balance, or misery and pain.  Shoes are designed to protect the foot during its primary functions of mobility and support.  Over the past century, fashion has sometimes interfered with the original purposes of protection from injury, shock, and exposure.  Now, more than 200,000 new footwear fashions are introduced in United States every year. Footwear can be a cause of, and frequently is a contributor to musculoskeletal disorders.
 
 Space in this article does not permit me to share many of the important details of evaluating a pair of feet or a proper fitting shoe.  However, properly prescribed and fitted foot orthotics which are molded to your feet and then inserted into any shoe you choose is a sure method of insuring an improved environment for your foot, knees, hips, and spine. People with certain types of spinal problems benefit from wearing custom shoe inserts, or stabilizers. These devices stabilize the feet, which are the foundation of the entire body, reducing abnormal forces and stresses while enhancing structural and functional relationships. I often adjust my patient's feet and perscribe and fit orthotics for them with tremendous results. Perhaps the cause of your problem is only two feet away!