Eliminate Low Back Pain| The Foot and Ankle Connection
Do you suffer from chronic low back pain? Ever consider that your feet and ankles could be the source of the problem?
Millions of Americans suffer chronic low back pain. At any given time it's estimated that 1 million Americans experience low-back pain (1) and that 80% of all Americans will suffer from at least one significant instance of acute back pain in his or her lifetime (2).
Certified Posture Alignement Specialists are fond of saying ”Its your position (posture), NOT your condition (pain)!”
Most cases of low back pain are mechanical or non-organic in origin—meaning they're not caused by serious genetic conditions or accidents, but simply due to postural imbalances.
It's customary to address low back pain by treating the symtpom. You might massage, medicate, manipulate, rest the back or work on the "core".
While I agree that all these things can and do make symptoms of low back disappear for a time, I can guarantee that the pain will return at some point.
Why? Because none of those things addresses the underlying ROOT CAUSE of the pain, your POSTURE!
Postural therapy looks at bigger piture and seeks to address and resolve "Why" the low back pain occurred in the first place.
When clients come in with low back pain, one of the first things I do is to take a look at the feet.
Did you know that foot position and foot/ankle mechanics are directly correlated to low back pain?
Mechanical problems in the feet and ankles cause tension and friction in all of the structures that sit above them. The ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and spinal joints will eventually experience pain or result in injury if left unattended.
What about your feet and ankles? Why not take a look right at your feet and toes right now.
1. Do one or both of your FEET point away from your midline? Do they point in?
If they point out (evert) or poin in (pigeon-toed) or some disparity between the two there is a problem with your postural mechanics.
2. How about your ANKLES? Do one or both of your arches sit high (roll away from the mid-line of the body) or fall flat into the ground?
If so, this is a SERIOUS posture distortion right at your first connection to the earth.
Any disparity at the foot and ankle will throw off all the postural muscles throughout the rest of body. The feet are the foundation of human posture.
You might say - "yep, I know all that. That's why I wear prescription orthotics or inserts in my shoes".
True, orthodic arch supports can will provide support to the arches, but they WON'T CORRECT the stance (feet pointing in or out) or the the primary CAUSE of the dysfunction.
They merely try to re-create what your own foot musculatrue is designed to do on it's own WITHOUT addressing the underlying dysfunctional pattern at the foot and ankle.
If you think you have any of these issues, then Posture Alignment Therapy is for you! It will help retrains the distored muscles in foot and ankle position which may be the underlying root cause of your unresolved low back pain.
References:
1. Jensen M, Brant-Zawadzki M, Obuchowski N, et al. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine in People Without Back Pain. N Engl J Med 1994; 331: 69-116.
2. Vallfors B. Acute, Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Clinical Symptoms, Absenteeism and Working Environment. Scan J Rehab Med Suppl 1985; 11: 1-98.
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Posture Alignment Therapy can help you resolve your musculoskeletal pain naturally without medication, manipulation or surgery.
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