Foot Notes: Our Foundation

Foot health is greatly overlooked and underrated. When I look back at my education over the years, I realize the foot and hand were the shortest units covered in my PTA and massage therapy programs. And yet, there are 26 bones in each foot. 52 total! If you think about it, the human body is composed of 206 bones. Therefore, our foot makes up 25% of our entire skeletal system. There are 33 joints, about 30 muscles and over 100 ligaments in the anatomical structure of the foot.

Our foot is our foundation. It’s our first point of contact with the ground that supports us. The human foot craves sensory input. It’s how we interpret the world. Exposing our bare feet to different textures (grass, carpet, tile floors) sends sensory input up the spinal cord to our brains and improves motor output and function. Without a strong foundation our structure isn’t sound.

Our foot is not a rigid lever. It’s not meant to be restricted in a shoe all day. My arm has been immobilized in a sling for the past five weeks. It has atrophied. It’s rigid. My bicep is weak. This same scenario applies to the foot. If you don’t use it. You lose it. It’s important to keep the intrinsic foot muscles strong and toes mobile.

Which leads to my next point: The best predictor of falls in the elderly community is lack of big toe mobility. If you cannot lift the toes at heel strike or initiate push off, chances are you will not be able to clear the floor during ambulation and that is when the geriatric population becomes a fall risk.

The foot tells us what the hip and knee cannot. Chronic injuries and foot deformities (bunions, hammer toes, etc.) share the story of what is happening up the kinetic chain. If our foot cannot flatten and then recoil during gait and dynamic activities, the shock will be absorbed into the joints above, causing pain and dysfunction.

So now, I invite you. Even challenge you. Bring more awareness to your feet this summer. Wear your toe spacers, do some toe yoga, circle those ankles, roll the bottom of your feet, perform some calf raises.

Then pay attention and make note…How’s that chronic knee pain feeling? Is that nagging ache in your hip better? Are you standing up straighter?

A core mission of mine is to bring more awareness to foot function in order to restore alignment, posture and biomechanics. And improve overall quality of life - one sole at a time.

Foot pain can be debilitating. It can lead to emotional distress, anxiety and inactivity. If you suffer from chronic foot pain, injuries or dysfunction and are interested in a customized one-on-one foot rehabilitation program please contact me at sara@bodyworxatx.com to schedule a consultation.

Don’t let foot pain hold you back from living your best life.

-Sara