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Writer's pictureDr. Taylor Ferguson

Foot. Feet. Function.

Part I

Knee pain, Hip pain, Low back pain…. Maybe it started with your feet?!?



At Function First Chiropractic Dr. Taylor prides herself on looking at the big picture and not just the structures immediately connected to your pain. This is why I may look at your feet, even if you don’t currently have foot pain. Silent problems within the biomechanics of your feet can lead to aches and pains felt elsewhere. If you think of your feet like the foundation of your house its easy to see how issues from below can potentially cause problems in the structure above. The average adult takes between 4,000 and 6,000 steps a day, even more if you’re out running, hiking, or walking to work. We depend on our feet and legs to get us where we are going and keep us doing things we love, which is why foot pain and other aches related to foot dysfunction are so prevalent. In each foot there are 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, as well as 19 muscles and tendons, which makes them a very complex structure, and create lots of potential sources of your foot pain and or other problems further up the chain. Therefore as a holistic provider it is important to consider the foot structure and function when looking at pain above.


Part II

A Good “Understanding”


Did you know that movement in your joints is the most efficient way to communicate with your brain? Proprioception is a big word that describes how your brain knows where your body is in space. It’s how you are able to intentionally touch your nose with your finger even when your eyes are closed. Joint capsules contain the highest numbers of receptors that communicate this information. However, when pain and inflammation are present in the joints, the body innately limits the movement in these joints, causing a limitation in internal communication. Since there are 33 joints in each foot and our feet are often in constant contact with our environment, it is incredibly important that we keep good movement in the joints of our feet, so that our brain has the most opportunity to know where we are in space at all times. Therefore, if you are experiencing foot pain you are also limiting the signals being transmitted from environment via your feet to your motor control center. Dr. Taylor can increase this movement and decrease your foot pain through specific adjustments in the office as well as at home through corrective exercises. While gross movements are essential for a healthy lifestyle, micro-movements are essential for proper function and remaining pain free.


Part III

Stability Before Mobility



While our feet help us to be mobile, our foot structure is meant to provide us with a stable base, from which we can produce movement. This may be counterintuitive at first, but if you think about it, it makes sense. A lot of people lack stability from their feet, which then forces the body to find stability elsewhere in order to still function as needed. Anytime an area of the body is picking up “slack” for an area that should really be doing the work we often experience pain, tightness, discomfort, etc. This is another reason why problems with your feet can contribute to pain felt elsewhere in the body, or within different areas of your feet. Therefore your foot pain could be because your feet are lacking the ability to stabilize. A lot of times as chiropractors we work to restore movement in joints with adjustments but we can also help to restore stability through corrective exercises. Allow Dr. Taylor to determine the true cause of your foot pain or other pains and know that she has all the tools and techniques to correct the issue and help you remain pain free in the future.


Let Doctor Taylor of Function First Chiropractic be your place for all your lower extremity needs, especially for those of you with foot pain. Also, if you come in with back pain, don’t be confused if she checks your feet too!


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