Pain Free Life & Living with Egoscue
Di Vinci was right. The human foot is a true marvel of blue-print design.
Consisting of 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments, the human foot/ankle complex is the work of exquisite genius.
Like the rest of the body, our feet need to be exposed to correct stimulus and demand to keep them healthy, functional and performing their supportive duties. As a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist in The Egoscue Method and STOTT Pilates instructor, I cannot stress enough how important correct musculoskeletal alignment from the feet and ankles upward is for the overall health of the body.
I always recommend bare foot training to my clients. Not only do our feet give us sensory input about where our body is spatially, they also set the framework of how our pelvis balances and moves. This intimate connection translates directly to the spine.
How you use your feet and how your feet and ankles function has a direct influence on your core musculature and spinal health.
The way we stand on our feet and move the feet recruits different muscle lines up the leg into the pelvis. Foot health, therefore is imperative as incorrect movements can cause problem in the spine and compensations and/or dysfunctions in the rest of the major load joints in the body.
Wearing shoes all day long casts the foot in a protective shell. Over time this can actually weaken our foot and leg muscles, and joint mechanics leaving them underdeveloped, imbalanced and prone to pain/injury.
I’m not saying be barefoot all the time. There are many occasions where footwear is essential for protection, safety, and security. I am saying that it is important to stimulate and exercise the foot in a more natural state on a regular basis.
Bare foot training performed in conjunction with posture alignment therapy through the application of The Egoscue Method or restorative pilates sessions, helps improve foot mechanics and how the foot communicates with the rest of your kinetic chain.
Going barefoot enables us to feel the earth, judge movement, balance and perform with precision. It allows our feet to do what they are designed to do. Shoe insets and padding distort the messages the body receives through the many nerve endings of the feet. The cushioning, support structures and forms of shoes do not allow the foot to communicate properly or or send the correct messages positioning information to the rest of the body.
Another interesting benefit can be found in the article Walk Barefoot On the Grass and Let the Earth Energize Your Body by Naturopathic Medical Docotor, Mark Stengler. Dr. Stengler discusses how going barefoot outdoors creates an opportunity to “earth” or “gound” ourselves with the natural electrical energy of the earth’s surface.
Stengler writes:
“Research by electrophysiologists and other medical experts suggests that the earth’s electrical energy may help protect and stabilize our body’s own electrical system, recharging, replenishing and, ultimately, healing us.”
Whether you agree or not, it is an interesting concept to contemplate. I’ll let you read the article in it’s entirety to decide for yourself, but have to say I’m in agreement.
One of the most important lessons I teach clients from both of my studios is that form follows function.
As Egoscue Method founder Pete Egoscue likes to say, “Bones will go where muscles tell them to”.
According to the theory of “blue-print design” the ankle and foot have a proper form and function which must be adhered to. The ankles and feet support your whole body foundation. A healthy, aligned and balanced body begins in your feet and ankles and will translate up in your entire kinetic chain.
If your feet and ankles are not moving properly, imbalances in the muscle-length tension relationship at all the major load joints is affected and we are prone to chronic pain and/or injury.
With that, I give you Pain Free Chronic Therapy & Pilates Integration Mind. Body. Spirit.’s
6 Reasons To Train in Bare Feet:
- Strengthens muscles in the feet and lower legs improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury.
- Improves range of motion in ankles and feet allowing them to move more naturally.
- Stimulates neural function important to balance and agility. When in bare feet, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility.
- Improves proprioception and body awareness – those same neurological receptors heighten body awareness, sending messages about body mechanics, form, and movement improving your posture and load joint mechanics.
- Eliminates the need for excessive shoe technology and heel lift insets designed to artifically align the pelvis and spine and improve posture. By correcting foot mechanics in conjunction with Posture Alginment Therapy and Pilates, we re-train our feet and postural muscles to distribute our bodyweight evenly across the footbed, promoting proper foot mechanics, posture and spinal alignment.
- Allows the foot and body to move naturally and connect with the earth; as it is designed, which just simply FEELS GOOD.
Then give us a call to set up your own individualized posture alignment or restorative pilates session. We are here to help.
At Pain Free Chronic Therapy, we believe in living life to the fullest! Your life should be PAIN FREE – fun, full of energy, and uniquely about you.
If it doesn’t feel that way for you, give me a call. Posture Alignment Therapy in The Egoscue Method is designed to help you return to a Pain Free Life and Living.
I can help you get going again. I promise. We’re in this together, and I am here to help.
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