Your feet are a complex combination of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. This means that everything needs to be working correctly to support an active lifestyle.
Healthy feet are the foundation of your entire body—both literally and figuratively. They help with your balance, posture, and mobility. If you’re having issues with your feet, then you’re likely to have problems with the rest of your body.
Back Pain
Any problems with your feet can lead you to adjust your posture and compensate for the issue. It’s also likely that you have no idea that you’re doing it! Back pain can start when this overcompensation leads you to change your walking patterns, which can ultimately misalign your spine. Ouch!
Flat feet are the leading cause of misalignment, and your whole body can quickly become affected. Starting with your ankles, issues can move up through your legs, affecting your knees, hips, spine, and even neck! When your body compensates for these adjustments, you begin to sit, stand, and walk in an unhealthy way that likely makes the condition that much worse.
Joint Problems
Common foot issues, like flat feet can also cause joint problems. Flat feet don’t have the arch support necessary to absorb the shock that comes with everyday activities, like walking, standing, and especially running. This means that your other joints, usually knees and hips, take the brunt of this impact. Because these joints aren’t designed to handle that type of stress, they can have lasting problems.
Posture Problems
Like we said, your feet are literally the foundation of your entire body. If they’re improperly aligned, it’s not hard to believe that it could create balance and posture problems. This makes you more accident-prone. Slips, falls, and spills can lead to future injuries and further issues.
Organ Health
It may seem far-fetched that your feet can affect how your organs operate—but it’s true! Like every other part of your body, your feet are full of nerves and receptors. If you’re having issues with your feet, your body is aware and sending messages to your brain to fix it. From there, your brain begins making adjustments, like your walking patterns and posture that we discussed earlier. But this also applies to your organs!
Get Your Feet Checked Today!
Your feet share a unique link with the rest of your body. Just think about how diabetes affects foot health. This relationship is a two-way street. Your overall health can affect your foot health, and the health of your feet can affect your whole-body health.
It’s time to make sure that your feet aren’t contributing to any overarching health issues. Make an appointment with one of our experienced podiatrists today to give your feet the attention that they deserve.
