From the Ground Up

When was the last time you looked at your feet? I mean really looked. Like many parts of the body, most people don’t think about their feet until there is a problem. Unfortunately, by the time we sense a problem (pain!), it is often because we’ve forced our feet into bad shoes for too long.  

There are many opinions about footwear. Mine is not particularly driven by fashion, trend, or advertised function. I’ve found that when you apply a rational, anatomically-based perspective to how the body works, things just start to make sense.

Our connection to the ground comes through our feet. If we squish our toes, elevate the heel (to any height), or have lift in the toe, it is impossible to properly bear the weight of the body. Period. Over time, this enforces poor biomechanics through the entire lower kinetic chain. If you have a foot problem, you have a knee and a hip and a pelvis problem. Everything is connected. The brilliance of the body is such that it can and it will adapt, compensate, and put up with the trauma to which you subject it - to a point. From the ground up, this means looking at the relationship of your feet to the floor.  

I recently had the opportunity to meet with and shadow Dr. Ray McClanahan, D.P.M. As a classically trained podiatrist, he employed the needle and knife approach of allopathic medicine to “fix” the “pathology” of the foot issues he saw. A combination of personal experience, exposure to the uncommon perspective of Dr. William Rossi, and a compassionate drive to find a better way heal and improve the quality of life in his patients led him to innovate a product called Correct Toes.    

Dr. Ray McClanahan is an educator. He practices what he preaches and he preaches a Good Word. He believes in employing a preventative and conservative approach to not just alleviate your pain or complaint, but help to position your feet (and by extension your body) in way that honors natural movement and allows for healing to occur.

So check out his website, but more importantly check out your feet. If you draw a line from your first metatarsal to the tip of your big toe, is the line straight? Take the liner out of your shoe and step on it. Is the line still straight? What do you think happens when you cram a foot into a box that is too small for years? For decades? You wouldn’t do that to your hands. You only have one pair of feet. Wear them well.