Have you ever stopped to think that your feet are the foundation that the rest of your body is supported by? Your feet are extremely complex structures composed of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and skin.

There are 26 bones in the feet, ¼ of the human bones are located in the feet. The feet and ankle have 3 main jobs; support, propulsion and shock absorption.

Foot pain and dysfunction can be due to:

  1. ill-fitting, inappropriate footwear that cramps your feet,

  2. injuries that keep you from walking well–or at all,

  3. sprains which stretch or tear ligaments (which connect bones), and

  4. stress fractures of bones in the foot, which can result from accidents or overuse while engaging in sports or exercise.

Even without pain, foot dysfunction can cause your whole body to overcompensate, which can lead to back pain and even headache, not to mention the emotional stress of discomfort and limitations of movement that can spread from the feet upward.

No one is safe from foot problems. But older or overweight individuals, diabetics, and serious athletes and dancers who place great demands on their feet are more prone to foot disorders than others are.

If you are troubled by chronic or recurrent foot pain and/or dysfunction, you would be wise to consult a chiropractor, who has experience relieving such pain and preventing it from causing even more painful and disabling joint, muscle, connective tissue, and nerve problems in other areas of your body.

Arch supports are often times part of the solution, but in many cases foot problems need more than arch support, they require joint mobilization (adjustments) soft tissue rehab and gait training.

Taking care of your feet will save you a lot of problems down the road. Here is a list of things to consider when choosing footwear for the day. 

Foot Support Tips

Ladies, limit the amount of time you spend in high heels. High heels change the alignment of your spine and put a lot of stress on the lower back, not to mention they lack support for your feet.

It is also important to wear shoes while at home. Going barefoot around the house will cause the feet to break down. When you get home from work, slip into a fresh pair of socks and a different pair of shoes. This will help you feel refreshed while still having good support around the house.

Just say “No” to Flip Flops

Flip Flops Hurt Your Feet

One of the most damaging things you can do to your feet is to wear flip flops. I know they are easy to wear and stylish, but they have zero support… and create more problems then they are worth. Limit your flip flop use to just the beach.

You may be saying to yourself ‘why is it so bad to go bare foot or wear flip flops, how did people get along back in the days before we had good supporting shoes?’ Here is the short version of the story; people had stronger feet back then. Our feet were designed to grip and crawl over uneven surfaces which strengthened the foot muscles tendons and ligaments. Today, nearly every surface we walking on is flat. Our feet are weak and breakdown easily.

Most of us realize that wearing good shoes is important, but most shoes don’t offer the support we need for all three arches of our feet. That’s why adding a good arch support is an important component to a good shoe. I hope this information was helpful, I could have written a short book on this important topic.

Myles Dixon DC

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