Orthotics Can Help More Than You Think
By the age of 20, nearly 80% of us has some kind of foot problem, and by age forty almost all of us do.
Pain Relief Could Be Only Two Feet Away
Even if your feet don’t hurt, they may be a major factor contributing to your health problems. Spinal-pelvic misalignment is the culprit. Pain in various parts of your body may be traced directly to your feet! You may not be as fortunate as you think. A foot problem may be the cause of discomfort or pain in your leg/hip, back, arm/shoulder or even your neck!
Take This Test
- Do you stand or walk on hard surfaces for more than 4 hours daily?
- Do you participate regularly in any physical sport (basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, etc.)?
- Are you age 40 or over?
- Have you had a prior knee injury, back injury, or neck injury?
- Do your shoes wear unevenly?
- Do you have joint pain while standing, walking, or running?
- Is one of your legs shorter than the other?
- Do you have knock knees or bow legs?
- Do you have obvious foot problems (bunions, corns, flat feet, etc.)?
- Do your feet “toe out” when you’re walking
What Causes Foot Problems?
From the time you learn to walk, your feet assume three crucial functions: they support your body whenever you stand, walk, or run; they assist you in achieving movement from one place to another; and they help protect your bones and soft tissues from damaging shock stress as you move. Being overweight, having minor structural defects in the feet, or injuries — all of these factors can contribute to additional foot and body stress. So even though one-quarter of all the bones in your body are ina your feet, having to perform these three strenuous tasks day after day can (and often does) lead to some type of foot and/or body problem. It's not too surprising to learn, therefore, that by the age of twenty, nearly 80% of us have some kind of foot problem, and by age forty almost everyone does.
What are some of the most typical foot problems?
Pronation is considered the most common foot problem. In pronation, some of the bones of the foot drop to a less stable position because the foot arches are too weak to keep them in proper alignment. The arches themselves may be unnaturally stretched ("flat feet"), and stress on the entire foot increases. Another common problem — one that is often found along with pronation — is plantar fascitis, a stress irritation to the sheath of elastic tissues running nearly the entire length of the foot. If not treated, either condition can lead to progressive development of foot malfunction and discomfort. Feet can become "tired and achy" or experience a burning pain, and walking can begin to feel "clumsy" as you try to move your foot in a way that avoids further pain.
How do I know if I have pronated feet?
Pronated feet often "flare outward" during standing or movement; your Achilles tendons and kneecaps may be rotated inward from the midline of your legs; and shoes may have heel wear on the outside and look "run over".
Since my feet don't hurt, I don't have any real problem with them — right?
Wrong. Even if your feet don't hurt, the fact that your foundation has been weakened can have a potentially serious impact to the rest of your body. If you are currently having knee, hip, low back or neck pain, the reason may be because your feet aren't supporting joints, bones, or soft tissues above the ankle properly, and this lack of support has contributed to stress/pain in some other part of your body.
What can my healthcare professional do about my foot problems?
Depending upon your specific condition, La Costa Chiropractic can provide you with a conservative (i.e., non-surgical) treatment program that can help both your feet and your entire posture feel and function better. But before such a program begins, we will want to perform a complete examination, which might include checking for tenderness in the foot, analyzing your posture, taking x-rays, watching how you walk, and looking over your shoes for signs of improper wear. Based upon the findings, the doctor will be able to fit you in an Orthotic custom fit for you.
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