When it comes to a building, what’s the most important part of the structure? Is it the roof? Or maybe it’s the walls and floor. Keep thinking lower and you’ll eventually find the right answer – the foundation. Without a proper foundation, how long could a building survive? Walls will collapse, floors will buckle, and ceilings will cave in if you neglect the foundation of your building.
Your feet can act in a very similar manner. With fifty bones, sixty joints, and more than two hundred ligaments and tendons, your feet are quite complex. That is exactly why ignoring issues with your feet would quickly begin to affect the rest of your body. Just as with disregarding a building’s foundation, disregarding issues with your foot healthy can lead to major damage.
The question many ask is just how it is that your feet can affect other parts of your body. The quick answer is that there are many different ways. Here are just a few of them:
Organ Function
Did you know that the structure of your feet can directly affect your organ health and functionality? The millions of receptors in your feet that register touch send constant messages to your brain each time you take a step. When you’re balanced, this is not a concern.
When your feet are imbalanced your brain will start to work to overcome the issue by sending specialized signals to other parts of your body. These signals cause you to overcompensate. Your gait changes and in turn your physical structure can be affected. As your structures begin to shift so do your organs. This can create additional stress and fatigue.
Balance, or a Lack Thereof
When it comes to your feet, it’s all about balance. Some studies have shown that major numbers of people suffer from some degree of imbalance involving their feet by the time they are age 20. This can be due to many different issues. One such issue that can lead to imbalance is fallen arches. Typically your feet help to absorb a great deal of shock over time. Fallen arches, like other causes of foot imbalance, allow this shock to move up into the body causing stress and strain on your ligaments, joints, muscles and other parts of your body.
Up the Chain
As mentioned, stress and strain on your feet can travel up your body especially affecting your lower back, hips, neck, and other parts of your body. While corrective orthotics can help to offset the damage done from issues involving imbalance due to foot-related issues, regular chiropractic can help to find a solution to the issue causing the pain and discomfort.
Chiropractic treatments involving the feet can help in a large variety of ways. If you have questions about what it can do for you, please feel free to call or contact us today!
