How your feet may be contributing to your pain

Usually when I am working on a patient, and find excess tension in the low back I will check their feet-when the bones of the feet become "stuck" they can't act as a shock absorber for the impact caused by walking or running.

A healthy foot opens up when striking the ground-this absorbs impact. When the foot is rigid, the impact force gets transferred to the rest of the body.

How can you check for foot problems yourself?

• Check the inside of your knees(about four fingers away from the kneecap-towards the inside of your leg), if there is an unusually tender area this could indicate a possible problem.

• Have someone check the level of your hips-Have someone put their hands on your hips from behind. Their thumbs should look around for two "bumps" one on each side. Have them place their thumbs there and look at the level of the thumbs. If one is higher than the other,it means the hips are not level and a possible foot problem (or spinal)

• Check your feet by twirling them around-if one side is not as free as the other, it could be that the foot bones are locked up.

• With your thumbs, check for unusually tender points on your foot along the arches.(dig deep!)Any of these signs could indicate that the biomechanics of the foot are not working properly.

  You should have a chiropractor or other professional that is trained in manipulation of the extremities check to see if an adjustment would help to restore proper movement and function to your feet.