Where do you stand?

Leonardo da Vinci called the foot “a masterpiece of engineering and work of art.” All that can be said for the best architecture — solid stability, designed to bear great stress and the ability to stand the test of time — can be said for the foot. The foot is an amazing network of 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 31 tendons and yards of nerves and blood vessels. Together the feet comprise one quarter of the bones in the body.

Most of us take about 10,000 strides each day; in a lifetime that would be the equivalent of four laps around the world. Yet, we overlook all of that hard work, unless, of course, our feet ache. Foot problems are not normal, nor do they have to be tolerated. Keeping healthy feet is the key to keeping the rest of the body healthy. Your feet are your foundation. Every motion of the foot mandates motion in the spine and throughout the rest of your body.

Orthotics are shoe inserts that are intended to correct irregular walking patterns. They help to make standing, walking and running more comfortable by realigning the bones in the foot and making each stride more efficient. Realigning the arches in the foot will in turn realign the whole body, making you stand straighter, which may alleviate lower back pain and pain in the hips, knee and ankles. The orthotics are not to be thought of as a crutch but as an aid that helps guide the foot through proper motion, allowing the muscles and tendons to perform more effectively.

Three-quarters of Americans experience some kind of foot pain, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association. Sixty-six percent of Americans report that their feet hurt on a regular basis, 18 percent do nothing or just live with the pain and only seven percent seek care from a doctor or foot specialist.

Common foot problems:

• Bunions – Misaligned big toe joints, which can become swollen and tender, causing the first joint of the big toe to slant outward and the second to angle toward other toes.

• Hammer Toes – Toes are bent in a claw-like position, usually because of muscle imbalance. Often associated with bunions.

• Plantar Fasciitis – Heel pain commonly traced to an inflammation of the long band of connective tissue running from the heel to the ball of the foot.

• Heel Spurs – Bone growth on the underside or front of the heelbone. Occur when the plantar tendon pulls at its attachment to the heelbone. Area can calcify to form a spur.

Next time your feet hurt, you don’t have to just live with the pain. Consider a visit to The Natural Foot, 5256 South Mission Rd, Suite 906, Bonsall.