Natural Health Practitioner take a Close Look at Foot Problems

Natural health practitioner take a close look at foot problems, understanding that your feet are extremely complex structures composed of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and skin. They are subject to injuries and other problems caused by normal wear and tear over years of supporting the weight of your body and making it possible for you to stand, walk, run, and jump.

The most obvious symptoms of foot trouble are pain and dysfunction (limping, favouring one foot or the other, inability to put weight on the heel and/or the toes). Foot pain can be due to ill-fitting, inappropriate footwear that cramps your feet; injuries that keep you from walking well–or at all; sprains which stretch or tear ligaments (which connect bones); and stress fractures of bones in the foot, which can result from accidents or overuse while engaging in sports or exercise.

Foot pain and dysfunction can force you to modify the way you walk and create significant stresses on the joints of your legs, hips, and lower spine. Your feet are the foundation for your entire body. Even without pain, foot dysfunction can cause your whole body to overcompensate, which can lead to back pain and even headaches.

No one is safe from foot problems. But older or overweight individuals, diabetics, and serious athletes and dancers who place great demands on their feet are more prone to foot disorders than others are.

The most common foot problem though is Pronation. In pronation, some of the bones of the foot drop to a less stable position because the foot arches are too weak to keep them in proper alignment. The arches themselves may be unnaturally stretched (“flat feet”), and stress on the entire foot increases. Another common problem — one that is often found along with pronation — is Plantar Fascitis, a stress irritation of the sheath of elastic tissues running nearly the entire length of the foot. If not treated, either condition can lead to progressive development of foot malfunction and discomfort.

Chiropractic or Physiotherapy can help overcome foot and ankle problems that can cause additional problems in other structures such as in your legs, hips, lower back. The practitioners can use a number of diagnostic tests, including examining your gait and foot function.  They will palpate (move) your feet and ankles to measure any limitations in range of motion to identify what is causing your pain, and determine the best course of treatment.

In addition, your practitioner may use Shockwave therapy, and recommend orthotics to help solve some of your foot problems. When your natural health practitioner take a close look at foot problems they can provide lifestyle counseling that can help reduce biological and psychological stresses on your body as a whole.