Foot alignment: How to treat the misalignment of your feet

Whether you work in an office or you’re a professional sportsperson, the truth is that our feet are one of the most important parts of our bodies. They help us to stay balanced, carry us from A to B, and allow us to live our lives vertically - imagine having to crawl everywhere!

If your feet are uncomfortable and causing you pain, particularly during and after exercise, the chances are that your feet are misaligned. Below, we offer an introduction to misalignment and offer our tips and advice on the best ways to treat such a problem.

What is foot misalignment? 

If you’re worried that you have misaligned feet, then you’re not alone. Research suggests that up to 45% of us have misaligned feet, so it’s a perfectly common and natural problem.

Although some people think that misalignment is due to the spine, the truth is that almost every part of our body can be misaligned, meaning our muscles have to overcompensate, which affects our movement and causes us to suffer from tight or sore muscles and joints.

How is foot misalignment caused? 

There is no single answer to this question - there are a great number of reasons why your feet may be misaligned. The single biggest reason may be that it stems from birth. When we are a baby our bones are very soft and when we come through the birth canal, dependent on what kind of journey that was, there are a lot of potential causes of the misalignment happening at that stage. So for example, if the spine is not fully formed or the hips have been out of alignment since a very young age, then we build up an overcompensation pattern. And like any foundation, our feet have to ensure that our body is balanced and the brain will prevent us from falling over, or having to work too hard against gravity, so the body develops an overcompensation pattern by typically dropping the arch ways in our feet. Misalignment can also be caused during an injury like a sprain or a fracture, or it may even be linked to your genetics. More often than not, though, misalignment happens due to overuse - perhaps if you have been walking too much, or you learned how to walk or run incorrectly, which over time causes misalignment.

If you suffer from arthritis or other joint-related issues, you may also have misaligned feet.

What are the symptoms of misaligned feet?

One of the most common symptoms of misaligned feet is pain. You may feel pain in your feet or it may travel to your knees, hips, back, or legs. If you’re suffering foot misalignment then you may also have other issues, such as bunions, plantar fasciitis or flat feet, which only add to your foot pain and can cause long-term mobility issues if they’re not dealt with.

What is the treatment of misaligned feet?

There are lots of ways that you can deal with misaligned feet, but one of the most common is to try soft tissue therapy for foot alignment. Indeed, there are several sports massage therapy treatments and alternative therapies to consider, so get in touch with the experts at Intulo Health to arrange a free 20 min assessment. Our team is on hand to assist and can help you overcome your foot misalignment issues, getting you (quite literally) back on your feet and fighting fit. Don’t suffer in silence - contact us today to get started on treatment. Call 01202 443892 or 07789 810752.