When you think of the impact that your feet have on your ability to function, it’s almost laughable. After all, they’re basically just lumps of flesh and bone that are mostly there to keep you from falling over. They don’t actually do much—right?
Understandably, this is a viewpoint shared by few people. However, there’s an awful lot more to your feet than meets the eye. They bear most of your body weight, support your ankles and knees, and help you maintain balance—and that’s just scratching the surface.
With so many functions packed into such a small area, it should come as no surprise that problems with feet can lead to serious issues elsewhere in the body. The good news is that supporting footwear can go a long way towards avoiding these pitfalls. Let’s take a look at why supportive footwear is crucial for your health…
Why is Footwear Support So Important?
First and foremost, you need to remember that your feet are subjected to a lot of wear and tear. This means that the more active you are, the more strain is put on your feet. In some cases, you may even be able to see the impact of this on your feet.
Such as broken blood vessels, crushed or painful joints, calluses, and corns, and they are just a few examples of how your feet are affected by the things you do with them. When you factor in the fact that the soles of your feet are covered in nerve endings. It’s easy to see why supportive footwear is crucial. Your shoes take a lot of the strain that your feet would otherwise be subjected to, reducing your risk of injury and pain.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common foot ailments and is often treated with orthotics. What is plantar fasciitis? The plantar fascia is a ligament that connects your heel bone to your toes.
When it’s inflamed, it can cause a great deal of pain in your heels, especially when you get out of bed in the morning or step down after sitting. If you don’t take care of your feet and choose improper footwear, you’re putting yourself at risk for plantar fasciitis.
When you’re putting your body weight through your feet and onto the plantar fascia, you’re putting it under a huge amount of strain. If you don’t have proper arch support, you can actually break your foot by putting too much strain on your plantar fascia.
Achilles Tendonitis
If you’ve ever experienced Achilles tendonitis, you know just how painful and debilitating it can be. This is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon at the back of your heel. Usually caused by overuse, such as too much running.
The only way to avoid Achilles tendonitis is to avoid putting too much strain on your feet. When you’re walking, you’re actually putting three times as much pressure on your feet as you do when you’re standing.
Back Pain and Disc Problems
While we’ve focused on foot pain so far in this article. It’s worth remembering that your footwear can have a major impact on your lower back as well. Many people experience chronic back pain. With one of the most likely causes being a herniated disc.
A herniated disc happens when your disc pushes against the surrounding ligaments, causing it to bulge out. In most cases, this is caused by a combination of bad posture and overstretching of your back muscles.
When your back muscles are overstretched, they’re forced to work harder for a longer period of time than they should be. The discs in your back are designed to provide support to your spine; if your back muscles are overworked, they don’t receive enough support from the discs, putting you at risk for a herniated disc.
Muscles Aches and Pains
This one should be pretty obvious. Your muscles are responsible for a huge amount of everyday activities, such as lifting your hand to pick up a coffee cup, so it should come as no surprise that you can experience pain in them if you’re not wearing supportive footwear.
When you aren’t wearing supportive footwear, your foot muscles are forced to work incredibly hard to compensate for your lack of support. Over time, this can lead to painful and debilitating conditions, such as plantar fasciitis, as your muscles become overworked.
The bottom line is that your footwear can have a big impact on your physical and mental health. If you’re not wearing supportive shoes. You’re much more likely to experience foot pain, as well as a whole host of other issues.
The good news is that you can avoid these problems by making sure that you’re wearing the right shoes for your feet and activities. While your feet may seem like an afterthought. You’ll notice the difference if you take them seriously. Make sure that you’re wearing the right pair of shoes for your feet. And you’ll notice a difference in your day-to-day function.
