What Your Shoes Say About Your Health
By Sara Butler
The chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic know one thing you may not: Your shoes have a lot to say about your health. In fact, looking at your shoes is one of the best tools they have to access your chiropractic needs. Here's how your shoes can help your chiropractor and what they can tell you about the needs of your body.
Where's the Wear?
Your shoe's wear patterns are a reflection of the way your lower extremities function and the repetitive motion they undergo. The heel, for example, can tell the chiropractor if there are any problems with your gait. The wear pattern on the heel of a shoe should be even, symmetrical, and gradual. If there's an abnormal wear pattern on the heel of your shoes, then it can indicate to the chiropractor that you may have some unusual biomechanics going on as the result of joint dysfunctions and restrictions.
The bottom of your shoes also indicates how balanced your lower extremities are and give a clue to how they function. If your feet tend to pronate on one side or the other, then that may be an indication of something going on with your hips or knees that needs to be addressed.
Finally, the toe of the shoe, if excessively worn, can indicate that you're having issues with your arches. If you're a runner, it may also indicate some issues with your feet that must be addressed. You may be bearing weight unevenly in the hips, which can result in hip or lower back pain that you need to take steps to fix. Balanced steps, that is!
Add It All Up
With all the information available to your chiropractor simply by looking at the soles of your shoe, then they can assess whether or not issues you may have with your spine and pelvis are the result of your body's movements. Assessing your feet and legs can help them create an accurate treatment plan that addresses the root of the issue, not simply relief of the symptoms.
See the chiropractors at The Joint to help you develop a plan to treat any biomechanical issues or joint dysfunctions you may be experiencing. They can treat you with hands-on chiropractic adjustments, stretches, and exercise that can help lead you to recovery and a pain-free life.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Aurora, Colo.