Do your feet hurt?

April 20, 2022 by Ola Oyeleye BSc Physio (qualified 1997), MPH (qualified 2004), MSc (qualified 2011)

Did you know that when your foot, or even feet, dont work well it can cause your whole body to work badly, and vice versa.

The function of the feet can directly affect the balanced function of the whole body, and vice versa.  That dysfunction can eventually lead to pain.  Even though pain may take some time to evolve due to the bodies amazing compensatory system, these systems are so finely tuned and interrelated they should not be ignored. 

When your feet hurt, they are sending pain signals to the brain giving the information they are not coping or working well, and have the potential to cause further issues all around the body.  However sometimes it’s your body that hurts more because it is sending stronger pain signals.  This could be a result of, or cause of, the foot pain.

There is a long list of symptoms that manifest in the human body from the foot such as hip pain, anterior knee pain, shin pain, neck pain, back pain, hamstring and or calf pain, Achilles and plantar fasciitis to name a few.

 
Here is an extensive list of some effects of ankle, foot and footwear problems on the human spine and limbs;

1. PES PLANUS (FLAT FOOT)

2. PES CAVUS

3. ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN

4. SESAMODITIS

 5. MORTON’S NEUROMA

6. OSGOOD SCHLATTER’S SYNDROME

7. HALUX LIMITUS/RIGIDUS

8. DIABETIC NEUROPATHY

9. PLANTAR FASCIITIS

10. LIMB LENGTH DISCREPANCY

11. MORTON’S/CLAW/HAMMER TOES

12. CALCANEAL BURSITIS

13. METATARSALGIA

14. CORE MUSCLE INSTABILITY

15. MIGRAINE

16. FACET/SACRO ILIAC JOINT PROBLEMS

17. ACHILLES TENDONITIS

18. “GROWING PAINS” IN CHILDREN

19. GERIATRICS

20. NAGGING/RECURRING SPORTS INJURIES

21. LOW BACK PAIN

22. ?BMI (body mass index)

23. RHEUMATOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

24. OSTEO/RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

25. CHARCOT-MARIE SYNDROME/DEFORMITIES

26. NEUROLOGICAL/ORTHOPAEDIC/PAEDIATRIC DISORDERS

27. SHIN SPLINT

28. POSTERIOR TIBIAL SYNDROME

29. CHONDROMALACIA PATELLA

30. LIMB AMPUTATION

31. ETC, ETC

As you can see the list is extensive.  Feet imbalance or poor biomechanics can affect the whole-body balance and if not managed correctly, can lead to various soft tissue or joints damage/ strains up or down the skeletal chain.

If you think that your foot balance and/ function could be causing you physical issues, or you aren’t sure, and would like some more information or advice, or would like a Biomechanical assessment with our Physiotherapist Ola Oyeleye, please call us on 01279 755994 or email [email protected] or book an appointment via our online booking at https://www.stortfordosteophysio.co.uk/.