Comfort & Foot Health

A Good Foundation is Important for Good Health

Guest blog by Dr. Sara Hillesheim of ReliefPlus Chiropractic

 

As chiropractors, we look to the posture and structure of the body as a window into your spine.  Because the spine houses the spinal cord, its integrity plays a major role in your health.

 

Thomas Edison said it :“The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”

 

Having proper footwear is essential to good health.  They lay the foundation and support our frame.  Since we are upright and mobile creatures, we place a lot of stress on our joints, especially the feet.

 

When the body is misaligned, abnormal stress is placed on the joints.  For example, if the hips are unleveled, one leg may appear shorter than the other.  This causes added strain on the hip, knee, and feet joints on one side.

 

The same is true of the reverse.  When there is an injury in the foot, it can affect the joint of the knee, hip, or even lower back.   It could cause pain in these joints or even arthritis which is often silent until well underway.

 

There is a relationship between these joints working as a kinetic chain, and you can see that when one part of the body is affected, it can throw off the others.

 

Of course people have different footwear needs.  There isn’t a magic shoe that works for everybody.  This comes from genetic differences, structural challenges as well as history of trauma.  Trauma might include anything from being on your feet often for extended periods of time to foot surgery. It could also include prior injury to the foot, ankle, knee, hip, leg, or spine!  Just about any injury to a joint could alter your gait and place different strains on your body.

 

Good shoes support proper load bearing of the joints and can be very preventative in avoiding injuries, whether acute or wear and tear type injuries.

 

For example, wearing high heels has its fashionable appeal, but can wreak havoc on your posture.  They alter your posture and put pressure on the front part of your foot.  These small joints are not designed to handle all of the added pressure.  Plus with less support, acute injuries are more common.

 

A chiropractor can help to alleviate joint dysfunction in the feet, ankles, knees and spine.   A thorough evaluation will also reveal how much stress from your gait is affecting the rest of your body.

 

Dr. Sara Hillesheim is a chiropractor in Minnetonka, MN near Wayzata, Excelsior, Hopkins, and Deephaven.  At Relief Plus Chiropractic, we are here to serve you and help you reach you health goals.  To see how you can benefit from chiropractic and for your FREE consultation please call our office at 952-681-2863.  

 

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