Myth Buster #1

June 17th, 2022

There is a common misconception amongst healthcare practitioners that we should not get too focused on alignment, with the common analogy made to our bodies being, “like trees” and that we, “grow in unique and various ways.” Whilst this analogy can be helpful for educating a patient with chronic pain to avoid obsessing over body perception and increasing pain sensitivity, we ignore alignment at our peril if we think it does not matter.

A foot and ankle mentor of mine once said, “everything works best in the body when it is in the right place.” Something I have noticed time and time again in my 21 years of clinical practice looking at the whole body and specifically, the feet.

Ask any Podiatrist if the angle of the big toe is important and they answer with a resounding, “Are you serious, of course it is!” I was reviewing a text this week from the famous musculoskeleteal expert, Dr. Shirley Sahrman Phd, PT, FAPTA and her opening line is as follows:

“Alignment is the foundation for optimal movement and musculoskeletal health and requires optimal movement to prevent or minimize painful movement syndromes.”

I could not have said it any better myself, and I can assure the readers Dr. Sahrman has far more knowledge than myself! So take a moment to look down, and take a long hard view of your feet. Are the toes straight? Is there even space between the toes? Are the arches the same height?

These things matter and make a difference to how your feet, ankles and your entire body feel and function. Remember the feet are the foundation of the entire body’s support and movement system. So if you do notice differences between your feet, take action now.

Make an appointment with a foot and ankle expert,
see if you can straighten your toes into ideal alignment and avoid painful movement syndromes that can easily be prevented.

Written by Andrew Wynd