With today’s extraordinarily busy life style, we often neglect small details that can be helpful and beneficial in our lives. Many of us participate in athletics and are on our feet competing with others. Yet how often do we think about this foundation that supports our spine? Our feet are essential in the alignment and continued improvement of spinal care. Over time our arches begin to break down which has a direct effect on our proprioceptive ability to perceive if our joints and ligaments are in their proper space. In laymen’s terms, proprioception warns us if we are about to create an injury (hyper-extension, for example) and relays this information to the brain so we can either avoid the injury or reduce its significance. This is why it is important to be sure your arches have not fallen.
In addition to athletes this same theorem applies to people of all ages. Falling, for instance, is a result of proprioceptive loss that can create larger problems. How many times have we heard of a friend or loved one breaking a hip as the result of a fall? Loss of arch leads to proprioceptive reduction and increases the chance of falling. If a person has a reduced level of proprioception, he or she will not be as sure footed and more likely to have a misstep on an uneven street or a staircase. As the fall occurs this person is more likely to have a higher level of injury because their brain has a reduced sense and signal from the feet regarding body positioning. Reaction time is slow and injury levels are increased.
Unfortunately, fallen arches cannot be rebuilt. However they can be supported to help increase proprioception thereby decreasing the likelihood of falls or the severity of injury during a fall.
Yours in health,
Dr. Dominick Mirando
Do you have questions about the health of your arches? Ask us about receiving a free state-of-the-art foot scan to see if orthotics would be helpful.
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