Feel the Heal: Chiropractic Footwear Tips
By Sara Butler
Choosing appropriate footwear is one of the most important decisions you make for your health. Your feet are the foundation for your body and issues with the feet will often work their way up to the rest of your body, leading to joint dysfunction and restrictions everywhere. You need to wear supportive shoes in order to make sure you’re taking care of your body. Here are some tips from the chiropractors at The Joint to help!
The Causes of Foot Pain
Foot pain can be related to a variety of issues. The most common culprit is a problem with the arch of the foot, which can then impact the way you walk and run. The arch changes at different points in your life, so the arch support that children need is much different than the arch support adults may need. Insufficiencies of the arch can also be the result of weakness in the glutes (muscles in your buttocks) and hips. These deficits can be treated by your chiropractor with chiropractic care and exercise recommendations.
What Does the Arch of the Foot Do?
A typical arch helps to provide balance and support to the body. It also distributes to shock and absorption of forces evenly as you walk, dance or fun. A high arch can cause lower back pain, knee pain, and hip pain due to its inability to appropriately absorb shock and distribute weight evenly. This puts stress on the lower back to help compensate and leads to pain.
Feet with no arch, which are commonly referred to as “flat feet,” cause pain in the hips, knees, and ankles. It’s also possible to have a combination of problems from high arches and no arches since your feet can each have a different type of arch.
What Footwear is Best?
There are a few types of shoes to avoid no matter what, due to the fact they offer little to no arch support. Ballet flats, flip-flops, and high heeled shoes are big no-nos. They’re simply not recommended for long periods of time if you’re going to be walking or standing. High heels lack ergonomic support since they push your entire center of gravity forward and force your body to compensate for the imbalance.
When you get home at the end of the day and your feet hurt, you can help to release some tension in your feet by rolling a golf ball under your feet or use a foam roller to help stretch the tendons on the bottom of the foot out.
If you have problems with your feet, discuss them with the chiropractors at The Joint.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Columbia, S.C.