Almost every action we take involves our feet, so it is no surprise that, as our anchors and foundation, our feet need attention and care. April is National Foot Health Awareness Month, which makes it a great time to focus on our feet. Each foot is composed of 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments that all work together to allow the foot to glide, flex, and extend as we walk, jog, and do regular daily life activities. Why do we say healthy feet, healthy spine?
All body parts are linked together, and since our feet serve as the foundation for the kinetic chain, the relationship between the foot and spine is crucial, as one affects the other.
Problems with the spine, like scoliosis, can change how we distribute our weight. The feet absorb and balance our weight and keep us upright. The spine supports the weight of our entire body, including our limbs. If one of these components malfunctions or is affected, it doubles the load on the other parts and then increases the pressure. Joints, bones, and soft tissues suffer because they are not designed for such additional loads. It can also lead to pain in the lower extremities, joints, and feet. In fact, studies have shown that some people with scoliosis demonstrate asymmetrical gait that may affect global postural control.
Suzanne Koucheravy, Scolio-Pilates Principal Educator and foot expert, states, “We need to have some mobility in the foot and some stability in the foot to discover how it will affect our standing posture and walking.”
Suzanne says it is essential to understand how we use our feet and assess our standing posture; we should note if we stand more on the outside or the inside of the foot. Is our weight more forward or backward? Note how our weight falls while walking, are the footsteps even rhythmical, or are they uneven? All this data helps us understand how we use our feet and what we should concentrate on while addressing our spines. It will get you to remember your standing position and how you should correct it so that all 3 points of the foot are touching before starting your Scolio-Pilates corrections.
The holistic full-body approach of Scolio-Pilates will help you manage scoliosis by improving alignment and strengthening from head to toe. Defining the health of our spine can be as easy as improving the health of our feet because our feet are the base that supports us all day. Improving your feet and spine together as a unit goes hand in hand.
Are you ready for a healthy spine and feet? Whether you are someone living with scoliosis or a professional helping those with scoliosis, join our Scolio-Pilates On Demand here. You will have two weeks of free scoliosis-specific exercises with a live class every Thursday at 3 pm ET (New York, USA) and access to over 100 classes. It’s time to take control. Be a Scolio-Mover!”