From the Bottom Up

Traditionally, the identification and assessment of musculoskeletal disorders and imbalances is undertaken from the top-down, with the inherent assumption that there exists a stable foundation.

When we treat a person who has an unstable foundation from the top down, we will spend so long trying to alleviate or control the symptoms present throughout the rest of the body that we rarely, if ever get to discover the true root cause of the problem.

In the meantime, the problems never go away; pain and dysfunction will invariably always affect different parts of the body at different times and at varying degrees of severity, typically with one central core of problems that never really eases.

The patient undergoes a series of treatment programmes: physical therapy, manipulation (chiropractic/oesteopathy),acupuncture, medication and in some cases surgery to treat the individual symptoms. The success of these methods are all highly variable, and what works for one person may not work for another.

If the root cause of the problem is not identified and treated, the same or other problems will return in the future. This scenario underpins the very heart of the problem we currently have in understanding the cause of and successfully treating recurrent injuries, chronic pain and degenerative diseases such as oesteoarthritis.

Start first with the feet

Root2Being advocates a reversal of this assessment and treatment process - that is - to begin from the bottom and work upward, aiming first to stabilise the foundation on which the rest of the body and life depends.

Why is it important to ensure stability of the foot with every step we take? Because where instability exists here, adaptations must occur elsewhere to compensate. Where instability is present, postural adaptations from toe to head must take place every time our feet come into contact with the ground. This adaptation and compensation is critical in order to maintain movement and keep the body upright under the influence of gravity.

With around 67% of the population potentially affected by an inverted, or pronated foot type, it becomes imperative that we learn to identify the cause and effect relationship between structural misalignments in the feet, the associated abnormal foot function and the resultant health problems throughout the body.

The unique nature of each persons' foot alignment, together with a combination of other risk factors such as age, occupation, nutrition and genetics will determine the expression of this on their own health and wellbeing. No two people will suffer in the same way, although there may be similarities.

What we must remember, however, is that it is not only the pain, discomfort and abnormal wear and tear on the joints that affects our health. The chronic physical stress caused by these problems can fuel dis-regulation of internal body systems causing or compounding a whole range of stress-related disorders, heightened sensitivities to external stimuli (including foods) together with emotional and behavioural changes. The chronic physical stress caused by a foot shape abnormality is just beginning to be recognised as a major underlying factor in the development of whole body dysfunction syndromes such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Enchepalopathy (M.E).

We have been ignorant of the role of foot alignment and function on our overall health for long enough. The time has now come for us to embrace new findings and learn how to control it. In turn we will be improving the health and wellbeing of a significant proportion of the population.