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Good Posture Begins at Your Foundation
Help for your back pain and TMJ?

When I examine a patient's posture, my eyes travel from the ground up.  I look at their foot stance, their pelvic position as it relates to their foot stance, their shoulders as it relates to their pelvis as it relates to their foot stance, and their head carriage, as it relates to their shoulders as they relate to their pelvis as it relates to their foot stance.  Guess what?  It all goes back to the feet!  When a foot imbalance is present it causes uneven wear and tear on the knees, hips, pelvis, and spine.  Studies show that after wearing orthotics for two weeks 88.4% of patients' chief complaint was either partially or completely resolved and after 14 weeks of wearing orthotics that number was 95.3%.   

How can wearing something in my shoe improve my back pain?  My feet don't hurt.  Excellent question!  Let me clarify.  It doesn't just help with back pain.  They can help with back pain (upper and lower), shin splints, plantar fascitis, iliotibial band syndrome, knee pain, and reduction in hip, knee, and ankle injuries ... not to mention reduction in leg fatigue for those who stand long hours and faster recovery time for athletes and just plain active people.  It can even help with TMJ.   

93% of the population has foot pronation. Pronation means that the foot rolls downward or inward and in severe cases is called flat-footed.  There is no way to fix this. When ligaments stretch they don't bounce back, like stretching a plastic bag.  Pronation causes all kinds of postural distortions.  All the bones of the leg roll in, which causes stress on the knee and can cause the pelvis and spine to twist.  If one foot rolls in more than the other, it can cause the pelvis to become unleveled and the rest of the spine must compensate.  This causes tension on the muscles and connective tissues all the way up the spine.  The result?  Pain, discomfort, aching, burning, and possibly injury.  If severe enough it is known as functional scoliosis.
Orthotics are not all the same.  Some are rigid and don't allow for natural motion of the foot. Foot Levelers has been making orthotics for over 50 years.  Their orthotics allow for supported movement using flexible materials and support all three arches in the foot.  They help with shock absorption which helps the joints and muscles and provides support during long periods of standing.  I stand for 8-10 hours a day minimum!!  I wouldn't give anything for mine.  This is, by the way, how they help with TMJ.  Did you know that with every heel strike there is .5g force absorbed in your jaw! 
It has taken me some time to implement orthotics in my office because I didn't care for the casting method, which did not show weight-bearing feet.  Currently, we now have a state of the art digital scanning system that allows us to gain images of the feet in their functioning position, fully weight-bearing.  These images are sent electronically and a pair of pelvic stabilizers are made just for you and your foot imbalances.  You can receive a free scan of your feet that gives you a colorized picture of how you carry your weight. You will be amazed at how different your feet look from side to side, indicating imbalances.  This is just another way to improve the quality of your life and start Living Well on Purpose!!!

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