The feet are the foundation of the spine. Problems with the feet can lead to hip. back, shoulder and even neck pain.
I find it important to evaluate this foundation for issues that might be contributing to a patient’s spinal condition. For example, if the medial arch of the foot is collapsing, this causes the foot to roll inward, the same side knee to buckle inward, the same side hip then drops. Foot overpronation can result in postural changes all the way up the kinetic chain of the body. If left unaddressed, may lead to pain in the knees and spine. Did you know that the 2nd most common place for degeneration in the body is the medial knee? One reason for this is the wear and tear on the knee joint from foot overpronation.
Let’s look at the foot/ankle bones I like to evaluate. First, is the talus bone which rests just underneath the 2 lower leg bones and is helpful with walking on uneven surfaces. Ankle sprains are a major cause of motion loss with the talus. If you have a history of “rolling” your ankle, then a misaligned talus bone is likely. Next, I evaluate motion of the navicular (helps support the medial arch), the cuboid (helps support the lateral arch) and the metatarsal heads (the “ball” of the foot and supports the anterior transverse arch). Correcting alignment issues in these bones is necessary for proper foot and ankle motion.
The Muscles, tendons and ligaments must also be addressed. An ankle sprain can cause micro tears or even complete tears in these tissues. After ruling out fracture or complete tendon tears, these soft tissue structures can be addressed. Specific rehabilitative exercises, therapeutic massage and IASTM(instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization) techniques can help with proper tissue healing.
If you already have foot pain, I hope you are getting the necessary care. If the care you are receiving isn’t helping, is the health professional treating the joint motion loss and the soft tissues around it?
If you don’t have foot pain, this doesn’t mean there isn’t a potential problem. I encourage you to do a self-evaluation of the foot: Do you have calluses forming at the ball of the foot or side of the foot? Do your feet get stiff, or calves get tight often? If the answer is yes, a misalignment of the ankle is likely.
Restoring proper foot/ankle joint motion, rehab and orthotics when necessary are what I recommend for patients. Adjustments to the feet will help create a stable foundation for the spine and provide back pain relief.
