POOR POSTURE ALWAYS EVENTUALLY LEADS TO CHRONIC PAIN
IMPROVING YOUR MUSCULOSKELETAL HEALTH... STARTING WITH YOUR FEET
Your pain may be attributed to something as seemingly simple as bad posture.
Bad posture sets in motion a vicious cycle of deterioration. It begins with slouching, leading to mild aches and discomfort, and ultimately progressing to debilitating immobility. Musculoskeletal pain stands as the primary reason people visit doctors, and it ranks as the second highest cause for the consumption of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The loss of mobility resulting from inactivity is often linked to conditions like cardiac disease, obesity, diabetes, and numerous other ailments. Correcting your posture is not only a wise choice but also a means of avoiding considerable suffering and exorbitant medical expenses.
The Connection Between Body Mechanics
When your body's joints are aligned properly in their neutral position, your posture muscles remain balanced and relaxed. However, if you develop a forward-leaning "Head forward posture" over time, the muscles on your back side (such as the Gastrocs, Hamstrings, back, and neck muscles) become elongated while the muscles on your front side shorten. A similar effect occurs when one leg is physically or functionally shorter than the other. As a result, the body becomes misaligned, and the muscles adjust by both shortening and lengthening, which eventually leads to a permanently crooked posture unless a change is initiated by you or external factors.
The Foot's Impact
Think of your feet as the foundation of a house. As the foundation goes, so does the entire structure. If you've ever tried to align door frames in a house built on an uneven foundation, you know how challenging it can be, and the results won't last. The same principle applies to your body. While your chiropractor aims to align your structure, if your feet are misaligned, the adjustments won't have a lasting effect. Similarly, when your physical therapist focuses on strengthening your body, but your foundation is compromised, your joints, muscles, and ligaments succumb to the forces of gravity. Muscles that would typically support good posture with ease end up laboring excessively just to keep you upright. Even a "good" massage might not feel pleasant because your muscles are so strained that they can barely handle any touch.
Hyperpronation and its Consequences
Standing or walking should not require excessive effort or cause pain. However, when your body is imbalanced or uncertain, your muscles tense up. Hyperpronation, which refers to an excessive inward rolling of the ankles, leads to instability and throws your body off balance. The muscles responsible for maintaining proper posture from your feet to your neck remain tense all the time, without receiving the signal to relax. This tension creates a domino effect: your posture changes as your legs rotate inward, hips rotate forward (often unevenly), and your upper body and head drift forward. Additionally, to compensate for this "head forward" posture and the accompanying muscle tension and spasms, your body subconsciously adopts "Common Compensation Patterns." Unfortunately, over time, these compensation patterns further deform your posture, leading to increased muscle strain and pain.
Over 80% of people exhibit structural hyperpronation, where the ankles lean inward during standing and walking.
Proper body alignment and mechanics enable your body to utilize its maximum strength, agility, and endurance while minimizing the risk of strain or injury. Unfortunately, the combination of flat surfaces, footwear, and hyperpronation disrupts your body mechanics. Firstly, flat surfaces exacerbate natural pronation since the structural issues in the feet prevent the brain from receiving accurate signals from the ground. Secondly, the internal rotation resulting from hyperpronation affects every joint from your feet to your jaw, causing misalignment. Misaligned joints become prone to injury with repetitive use. Consequently, the more intense your running and exercise routines are without addressing hyperpronation, the higher the risk of injury and long-term damage.
Finding a Solution
Chronic pain can stem from various factors, but improving your body mechanics, including your posterior chain, can be a major step towards alleviating pain and enhancing physical performance. The first crucial step is controlling hyperpronation. To do this effectively, it's important to assess the severity of your structural foot condition and how you personally compensate for it, as everyone's body mechanics are unique. Once you understand your own body mechanics, everything will fall into place, and you'll gain a clear understanding of how our insoles are designed to address these issues.