It All Starts At the Feet

By Frank Gresham, CMTPT

The Chronic Pain Center

. http://www.thechronicpaincenter.com

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It All Starts At the Feet

Plantar fasciitis, heel pain, shin splints, knee pain, low back pain, hip pain, and sciatica can originate from your feet.

Sounds hard to believe huh? Just like a car, people need to get balanced and realigned regularly. Realignment does not only need to be chiropractic, it can also be muscular. If your feet are not touching the ground properly your brain isn’t getting all the info that it needs when you’re taking a step. This is what caused my pain many years ago.

There is a condition called Morton’s toe that I will find on most of my patients. It is very common, most people have it. It is a condition of a shortened first toe in relation to the second toe. If you have Morton’s toe you are walking from your heel to your second toe all the time. Your body is balanced like you’re on an ice skate.

A perfect stride allows us to walk from our heel to the big toe and then our weight will transfer to the little toe like a tripod. This allows for better balance and also lets the muscles function correctly. When they are not functioning correctly, you will find yourself experiencing myofascial (connective muscle) pain.

It’s very important to have your feet contacting the floor like a tripod as opposed to walking with ice skates on. When we ice skate, our ankles wiggle back and forth as we’re trying to move along. It’s no different when you’re walking. We need to make proper contact with our feet on the surface we are walking on.

Once your body recognizes the proper gait has been established, your muscles will begin to function correctly and will fall back into proper alignment and functioning power. You will be stronger because your muscles are working together and not against each other.

It’s biblical in a way; if you are on a firm foundation you are more secure. If you’re not on a firm foundation, then you are more likely to stumble. Strive to always find the “why” of your pain. Make sure you are on a firm foundation.