Are your feet at fault?
8th–14th March is National Feet Week which is all about encouraging people to prioritise their foot health, but why is this important and how can massage help?
Feet get us around – we use them for running, walking and jumping. And yet, they generally get taken for granted – that is, until something goes wrong - and nothing can incapacitate you as much, especially if you’re a runner.
Did you know?
There are 26 bones in each foot (that’s a quarter of all the bones in your body just in your feet), 33 joints and more than 20 muscles? If these are out of alignment, or restricted, it will impact the rest of your body and could cause you pain.
There is always an underlying cause of pain, it’s the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong. A biochemical problem can be the cause of foot, ankle, knee, hip or back pain and many of these aches and pains can be traced back to the foot but for some reason, they are often overlooked as the primary culprit.
With over 7000 sensitive nerve endings (more, per square centimeter than any other part of your body), your feet are what respond to the ground, feeding back to your brain to let it know where you are in space, and can impact your posture and balance.
At Hannah West Therapies, we take a full body approach to treating pain. So, when we are assessing clients pre and during treatment, we are always looking at their posture overall and any postural imbalances. People tend not to come to the clinic with specific foot-related issues but because good foot mobility can improve balance, reduce pain and prevent injury, they are often part of the treatment.
The average person walks up to 115,000 miles, in their lifetime, enough to walk around the earth 4 times.
Walking is one of the most foundational and functional movement patterns we do every day. It also contributes to your general health by improving circulation, contributing to weight control and promoting all-around well being. Your feet mirror your general health. Such conditions as arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can show their initial symptoms in the feet - so foot ailments can be your first sign of more serious medical problems.
As we age, the ligaments in our feet tend to get a bit stretched out or lengthened and we lose some of the explosive rebound effect of our passive tissues. If you want to avoid functional and cognitive decline as you get older, walking and keeping active is vital to stay healthy and maintain your independence. Of course, looking after your feet is central to this.
How can massage help?
It’s not just pregnant women who like to have their feet rubbed!
A foot massage can not only give you much-needed relief after a long day, research shows it has health benefits too. Even a brief foot massage can ease stress by activating your nervous system, which increases feel-good chemicals, like endorphins. Foot massages also boost your circulation, which helps with healing and keeps your muscles and tissues healthy and is especially important if you have health problems, like diabetes.
Benefits of strengthening your feet
Increases your mobility
Helps with proper muscle recruitment
Develops proper foot posture
Improves shock absorption
Reduces stress to soft tissue structures
Minimises injuries
If you have sore/ tight feet, we recommend:
Of course, the first course of action is foot massage/ mobilisation. We can help; click here to book in with us. You can also perform self-massage
Spending some time each day barefoot to allow your feet to be able to spread out and feed back from the ground. Dr Emily, a functional podiatrist, talks a lot about the benefits that sensory stimulation can have on movement optimisation and longevity. Read more here
Stretching and foam rolling your calf
Placing a spiky ball in the sole of your feet
We have some great self-help videos on our IGTV which can help with the above.
Sources:
https://www.simardfootclinic.com/feet-facts
https://www.instagram.com/dremilydpm