Feet and shoes are often taken for granted in everyday life. But in reality, feet and the shoes that cover them have a huge impact on our comfort and overall wellbeing. From providing protection from the elements to allowing us to move around with ease, it's clear that feet and shoes play an essential role in our lives. In this blog post, we'll be exploring why your feet and shoes matter more than you might think. We'll be looking at the various benefits of wearing the right type of shoe, the importance of keeping feet healthy, and the signs that it may be time to invest in a new pair of shoes.
Feet are complex
Having 26 bones, 33 joints, over 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons on each foot, they play an important role in keeping your body healthy [1]. A healthy foot is essential to an active life. Supporting your posture, your balance, and your overall well-being depends on your feet, and knee, hip, and lower back pain can result based on how they feel. As well as causing imbalance and poor posture, foot issues can also contribute to how you walk. We will discuss your feet, shoes, and keeping yourself pain-free today.
Foot issues are very common
According to the Healthy Foot Survey, 48% of Australians awaken on any given day with foot pain on at least one part of their feet, with six per cent experiencing it on a daily basis [2]. Besides disease, other lifestyle factors have been identified as contributors to foot conditions. Around half of respondents reported sore feet after work and after exercise. Out of all Australians who took the survey, 48 percent had experienced some kind of heel or arch pain in their lifetime. That said, only 14% of them have seen a podiatrist in the past year, despite 35% of those surveyed suffering from this foot pain in the past 12 months. It would seem from these jokes that people do not regard foot pain very seriously.
If you have any type of foot problem, chances are that you are avoiding walking in the same way as you would otherwise because you know it would hurt. Overcompensating and misaligned walking habits cause back pain because your back and spine will also become misaligned, making them vulnerable to all sorts of ailments. In many cases, especially with people with flat feet, it's this case [3].
Flat feet can impact the whole body
In Australia, 70% of the population has flat feet. Someone with flat feet causes the ankles to roll and creates over pronation. Over pronation is just an imbalance in your joints and muscles which, in turn, affects the knees, hips, spine and neck. When compensating for this injury, you may end up walking, sitting, or standing in unproductive ways which may only exacerbate the condition.
As a result, your joints - especially the knees and hips - have to deal with all this shock despite their inability to handle it [4]. This added stress can lead to severe ankle, knee, and hip problems over time. A foot scan can be performed to determine the extent of your flat feet and your weight bearing by one of our chiropractors, physiotherapists, or osteopaths if you are concerned that you have flat feet. Most people with flat feet can benefit from a simple & natural treatment called orthotics, which is typically the most effective method of correcting over pronation.
The right shoes are vital
As summer is just around the corner, many people will be reaching for their thongs and sandals. These shoes usually lack proper support and cause a lot of discomfort - both in the feet and the knees, hips, and lower back [5].
Therefore, if we are planning to spend a lot of time in this type of footwear, it is important to choose a pair that has better support and comfort for our feet so that problems don’t occur. This is where Lightfeet thongs are great. Now in stock at Back in Motion Cranbourne, they are designed by Australian podiatrists and have arch support that the typical thongs don’t have. They are traditional looking thongs but are designed to maintain alignment and provide relief for tired and sore legs and feet. Come into the clinic today and grab a pair for summer!
References
[1] Armand, S, Tavcar, Z, Turcot, K, Allet, L, Hoffmeyer, P & Genevay, S. Effects of unstable shoes on chronic low back pain in health professionals: A randomized controlled trial. Joint Bone Spine. 2014; 81(6): 527-532.
[2] My FootDr. Healthy Feet Survey. 2017. https://www.myfootdr.com.au/2018/10/2017-healthy-feet-survey-reveals-australias-hidden-foot-problem/
[3] Balasundaram, A & Choudhury, D. Association between hyper-pronated foot and the degree of severity of disability in patients with non-specific low back pain. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2018; 22(3): 757-760.
[4] In-Hyouk, H. A Study of Foot Shape and Low Back Pain, Hip Abduction Muscle and Ankle Lateral Injury. Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine. 2008; 3(2): 127-133.
[5] Lee, C, Jeong, E & Freivalds, A. Biomechanical effects of wearing high-heeled shoes. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 2001; 28(6): 321-326.