The power of healthy feet up the chain

Let’s talk feet

Fascia, injuries / scar tissue, orthotics, toe spacers, hands on therapies and exercises.

The back line fascial chain (connective tissue, nutrient transportation matrix, sensory and communication network) sits in fluid bags to allow movement, communication  and proprioception. It starts at the feet and travels up through the body to your head. You can think of fascia from several perspectives. One being a spring like bands allowing movement, but enough tension to create support. When problems arise up the chain- If you imagine a banquet table and place a nail in the table cloth and attempt to move the cloth in any direction the nail inhibits the movement and some form of compensation is required. Within the body the adhesions, scar tissue, tightness and compensation patterns are caused by dehydration, adhesions, scar tissue and misalignment over time from overuse of some areas, under use of others, injuries, breathing dysfunctions and stress.

The feet are the start of the kinetic chain, they are also the furthest away from the bodies central engine, making them vulnerable from poor blood supply & possibly inappropriate shoes.

The feet are at a higher risk of injury and prone to scar tissue from fractures & sprains, they are also the least likely to get the attention they deserve, despite bearing  the weight of our bodies. Poor breathing mechanics and toxins from gravity further impact the fascia within the feet.

The toes are vital for balance and hold a lot of facial bundles of restriction when we’re out of line. This in turn can be a factor in back pain/ tight hamstrings, pelvic dysfunctions, spine misalignments, breathing dysfunctions and complaints anywhere up to the head. All of my treatments integrate Bowen, I ensure I work with feet, hips, pelvis, diaphragm, TMJ and spinal alignment for a full body alignment approach.

From a reflexology point of view the feet represents the entire body, as a reflexologist I have witnessed changes in people’s feet in correspondence to ailments in the body, organ removal, pregnancy and even how people develop and grow as a person. I love to spend a lot of time at people’s feet. When people come in with soft tissue pain. I like to press on the reflex points of the feet to see the reaction and gauge how far along the nerve & fascial line is involved. Working the feet through massage, acupressure/ acupuncture, reflex points, Bowen and the lymphatics really helps my clients.

As we age feet health becomes even more important. Keeping bunions, twisted/hammer toes at bay and maintaining good alignment is vital to prevent trips and falls. Nurturing the feet allows the 26 bones to keep alignment. Gripping and pushing off from our toes is the ideal biomechanics, when improper alignment is present, we see shuffling and limited push through where the tibia (calf) fascia wraps around holding the tibia bone to far forward causing restrictions and problems further up the chain, such a knee, hip and lower back pain.

We can help our feet and therefore our entire bodies by pressing in between our toes for 3 minutes twice a day initially to release the fascia in the feet and calves thus increasing dorsiflexion, holding within your individual pain threshold is recommended, it does get less painful as improvements are made, then work on toe and feet mobility with the simple exercises below….

Recent Research shows that we need as much time as possible bare foot, the benefits support natural foot biomechanics, healthier proprioception / awareness of good movement using your toes to push through as you walk, better awareness of restrictions & limitations to work on.

Walking barefoot in grass, sand and natural surfaces allows absorption of electrons feeding the mitochondria (the powerhouse of your cells), giving you energy, vitality & charging your cells for optimum health. You also release toxins and trauma into the ground, allowing the skin to breathe & reducing the risk of fungal conditions.

When wearing shoes, research suggests narrow, heeled, wedged, cushioned, restrictive shoes to cause the most issues when worn daily for long periods (this does not include those people living with long term conditions where support is needed prescribed by podiatrists). Bare foot types of shoe are popular and there are many cheaper brands on the market now, making them more accessible.

Personally I like to work out with no shoes and find them a hinder, if working out without shoes, foot and toe mobility is highly important. Building whole body mobility and ankle strength is advised before adding heavy weight.

Orthotics are not my area to talk about, my personal opinion would be to do the daily rehab exercises alongside the prescribed orthotics then return to the podiatrist and check you still need them, in case they cause alignment issues up the chain if no longer needed.

Toe spacers again are great alongside the rehab which will make long term structural changes.

Other ways to love your feet are to soak them daily in warm water using Epsom salts, essential oils, poultices and self massage. Rolling a ball every other day for a few minutes can also help.

I highly recommend this myofascial vibrating ball, I use this all over body for lymph support and on my feet daily. It’s gentler than the spikey or hard balls often recommend, so can be used daily and is much more enjoyable.

SHRINK Vibrating Massage Ball... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BJVWS5HQ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I hope this post inspires you to love your feet more and gives you insight into their needs and optimum function!