The Importance of Healthy Feet

​Taking good care of our feet is something that is often overlooked by a lot of people.  After all, our feet are not only vital for the movement of our body from one place to the next, but our foot/ankle complex is important for shock absorption, support and balance of the upright body.

Each foot comprises of 26 bones which are supported by a series of muscles and ligaments to allow movement for walking and running, and provide stability to prevent injury and absorb shock during movement.

​If there is a problem with one or both feet, not only can that lead to pain and dysfunction of the muscles, joints and ligaments of the foot, but problems in other parts of the body via compensation.  That is, a foot problem can create problems with your hips, knees, ankles and spine. Yes, that’s right …. neck pain may in fact be caused by a problem with the way your feet move!!!!

The majority of foot complaints are due to wearing inappropriate shoes. It is important when choosing a shoe to consider the following :-

1. That there is good support at the back of the shoe where the heel sits. This part of the shoe, known and the heel counter should be firm, to provide good shock absorption, and deep to provide stability.
2. The shank (the middle part of the shoe) should be strong enough so that it doesn’t deform easily with compressive forces, thereby supporting the arches.
3. The toe box (the front of the shoe) should be wide enough so that the toes have plenty of room to prevent compression during the stance phase of walking.
4. The shoe should be long enough so the toes are not pushing up against the front of the shoe when standing.
5. The type of shoe worn should be appropriate to the kind of activity, eg running, football, hiking all require different kinds of support and flexibility.

In addition to this, if there is lack of arch support in the weight bearing foot, orthotics may be considered to prevent further stress on the foot.  Orthotics are devices that are placed in the shoe to accommodate biomechanical abnormalities.  They can be generic or specific to an individual’s feet, and provide arch support to the weight bearing foot to allow for better movement and shock absorption in an upright and moving body.

Examining your footwear and how you wear it can give clues to potential foot problems.  For example, excessive wear at the lateral heel together with a caved in appearance at the inner foot may suggest a flattened foot or possible pronation.  If laces are done up too tightly, it may compress the extensor tendons of the foot and talus bone causing movement problems.  A shoe that is too flexible can lead to arch and shock absorption problems.  Irregularities on the inside of the shoe may cause friction or rub against the tendons of the foot/ankle.

Examining the foot itself can give clues to wear and tear. Calluses, corns and bunions are all indicators of abnormal wear and friction applied to the mobile foot.  Abnormal appearances or angles of the toes, especially the big toe, is suggestive of aberrant foot movement.

If you are suffering from foot pain or suspect you have a foot problem ,a simple foot scan can be helpful to assess for a problem in the function of the foot.  Call us at Catalyst to book in for your quick and free foot scan today!

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by Dr Emma Wilkinson