Your Feet and Your Body Structure... or Biomechanics

The human foot is a complex structure made up of 26 bones and 2 sesamoids, held together by soft tissue material - muscles, ligaments and tendons. The human foot was designed to walk on soft surfaces like earth and sand rather than today's hard and flat man-made surfaces. So, it's little surprise that with the average person taking 14,000 steps per day, damage often occurs to the soft tissue supportive structures of the feet.

Over time, soft tissues slowly become stretched and this loss of support causes abnormal foot function during walking or running. In turn, this leads to changes in the biomechanics of the ankles and further up the leg to the knees, hip, pelvis and spinal column.

Therefore, many knee, hip or back problems may be caused by abnormally functioning feet! Children as well as adults may experience similar problems due to abnormal bone or soft tissue development. Constant uneven stresses exerted on feet can also lead to those conditions listed. Wear and tear patterns on the soles of your shoes can reveal whether or not you have a potential problem.