Feet’s Role In Determining How Your Body Functions
The feet play a huge role in determining how your body functions. When we perform any kind of weight-bearing activity (e.g. standing, walking, running, jumping, etc.) it is our feet that are in contact with the ground, thus determining how the rest of our body will respond. Specifically speaking, if you have flat feet in a weight-bearing position, or the inner arches of your feet collapse downward, then this can lead to a multitude of different mechanical insufficiencies leading all the way up to your leg and into the hips where it can affect your lower back and the rest of your spine.
It is important to note that some people may be born with flat feet whereas most people who suffer from flat feet will tend to have a decent arch in their foot at rest, but when standing, that arch collapses into what appears to be a flat foot. I refer to this as ‘structural’ flat feet vs. ‘functional’ flat feet.
People with ‘structural’ flat feet are born with it, and there is little to be done to correct it. However, people with ‘functional’ flat feet will be born with an arch, however will have some kind of functional weakness in their foot that will cause that arch to collapse and create the feeling of having flat feet.
To see if you are one of these people with ‘functional’ flat feet, simply sit or lay down on a surface, taking the weight off of your feet. Then take a look at the inner aspect of your feet. If you notice that there is an arch or a curved shape to your foot, then that means you were born with an arch. Next, go ahead and stand up, and look in a mirror so that you can see the inner aspect of your feet again. If you notice that your arch disappears when you stand and your feet are flat on the floor, then that means you may be experiencing ‘functional’ flat feet. If you are also someone who suffers from any pain in the bottom of your feet, ankles, knees, hips, or lower back, then this may be a possible explanation for the cause of your pain.