When was the last time you gave your feet any consideration?
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In each foot and ankle, you have 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. There’s a lot going on in there, yet we often ignore them unless they are in pain.
What’s going on with our feet can directly affect the rest of our bodies.When I see a massage client for the first time, one of the things I assess is how he stands and moves. We might not pay much attention to them, but our feet are connected to the rest of us. How you stand can have an impact all the way up to that pain in your neck. Proper joint alignment throughout the body is essential to pain free movement, so if things are off at the foundational level, we’re likely to have problems all over.
For example, new running shoes—or running shoes that don’t fit right—can result in foot and ankle alignment problems as well as back pain. Many runners will also battle plantar fascitis from time to time; this painful condition sets in when the fascia (a type of connective tissue that wraps around the muscle) in the feet becomes painful and inflamed.
A few things you can do to show your feet a little love:
1. Trim your toe nails.
Seriously. You don’t need a pedicure, but trimming your toenails regularly will help make them less susceptible to athlete’s foot and prevent blisters on your toes. On that note, keep on top of blisters, athlete’s foot and other skin conditions on your feet!
2. When you buy sneakers, have a gait analysis done.
Most reputable running stores will offer this service, and often for free. They will take a look at exactly how you run or walk and recommend shoes that will stabilize your foot correctly. Or if you are feeling curious and wanting to try something new…
3. Consider “barefoot” technology shoes.
Proponents of barefoot running claim that this minimalist shoe style is much healthier for the feet, and ultimately the health of the spine. Vibram Fivefingers are a popular brand that has many converts singing their praises. Ultimately, the benefits here may be influenced by the wearer’s previous foot issues—or lack of them. Transitioning to this type of shoe needs to be done gradually, as you will rely on different muscle groups than with a more traditional sneaker. Long term, they are reported to have fewer incidences of plantar fascitis and other chronic foot problems.
4. Get a massage; if possible, choose one with a practitioner that is trained in acupressure or reflexology.
It’s fascinating to look at the reflexology maps of the feet and see how these areas we barely stop to look at have so many correlations to the rest of our health. Similarly, while acupressure meridians run throughout the body, there are several helpful points in the feet to relieve stress and fatigue. (There’s a reason a foot massage feels so amazing; it really is improving your overall health.)
5. Stretch your feet!
This is one of those “you’ll thank me later” sorts of things.
- With bare feet, start on all fours and then sit back on your heels, with your toes tucked under
- As you sit back, the weight of your body will stretch the muscles and fascia in your feet
- For many of us, this is initially uncomfortable, as these muscles get tight from time to time
- Try this at least once a day to allow the tissue to open up
- If you have ongoing foot problems, ask your doctor before adding this stretch to your routine
Photo credit: Flickr / joshme17
part 3 of 4 I wonder if the loss of foot, ankle, toe articulation and muscle strength cause by footwear, particularly corsetting footwear, impacts on elite athletes making them slower. And how it affects the rest of us. http://phys.org/news175332184.html Twenty thousand years ago six male Australian Aborigines chasing prey left footprints in a muddy lake shore that became fossilized. Analysis of the footprints shows one of them was running at 37 kph (23 mph), only 5 kph slower than Usain Bolt was traveling at when he ran the 100 meters in world record time of 9.69 seconds in Beijing last… Read more »
ah summertime, the time when we get to show how footwear has deformed and enfeebled our feet and toes. im sure 100yrs from now, people will ask why we corsetted our feet and penises penises: [ yeah this is a repost: i say most male underwear is infact feminine. the crotch space is minimal, and i believe is the major cause of the curvatures we see in penises. briefs or figurehugging type boxer shorts dont have enough space in the crotch for men. ive recently wondered about nappies(diapers) also, about the groin space there. and also about the placement of… Read more »
Great tips and much needed because I think foot health is an ignored aspect of healthy living and taking care of yourself.
Yes indeed – get a pair of boots that fit, or two…
In my case 4E isnt easy to find–Redwings and about 1/2 my knee complaints have gone away…
Fantastic stuff Kate. People don’t realise what an incredible feat (sorry!) of engineering the human foot is. I spent years with knee, then hip, then lower back pain, all of which were eventually addressed by dealing with issues and weakness in the feet. My own approach and practice has changed profoundly since I started working from the ground up.
Yes! I broke my leg several years ago and still have issues on that side. It’s all connected, and being mindful of all of those connections from head to toe make a big difference in our health.