| Bet you $510 billion you are! That's America's annual | | | | couldn't possibly have anything to do with their feet! |
| medical bill for musculoskeletal disease—things like | | | | They pretty much still look at your body like a |
| back pain, degenerative arthritis, knee pain etc. If | | | | contractor looks at your house, so shimming the |
| you took the bet, I'd have an 80% or better chance | | | | falling foundation (arch supports) seem OK to them. |
| of winning because that's how many Americans are | | | | Over a century ago, an archeologist, Seymour Sewell, |
| affected. More people see their doctor for | | | | published four articles on his study of the ankle |
| musculoskeletal pain than anything else, and what's | | | | bone. After studying more than 1,000 cadavers, he |
| worse—far too many end up with pain and | | | | concluded there was a significant variation in the part |
| suffering from surgery and drugs that could have | | | | of the ankle bone that connects to the inside of the |
| easily been avoided by just a few paragraphs of | | | | foot—an angular discrepancy as large as 20 |
| information. I put them all below: | | | | degrees between extreme samples. It seemed to |
| To find out if you'd have won or lost the bet—if | | | | have largely escaped everyone's attention or interest |
| this applies to you, stand on a hard floor with your | | | | but one podiatrist who was curious why people who |
| feet shoulder width apart. Make sure your feet are | | | | had bunion surgery would develop bunions again five |
| pointing straight forward and parallel. Do a skier's | | | | years later. Adding all the information together, he |
| crouch by leaning slightly forward and performing a | | | | concluded that the inside of most people's feet are |
| quarter knee bend while keeping your heels on the | | | | elevated so the first metatarsal and big toe are not |
| ground. Make sure the middle of your knees are | | | | weight bearing when it should be—just like you |
| tracking right over your third toes. First hint: With | | | | demonstrated on yourself. This makes the feet and |
| the knees straight over your feet, your legs and hips | | | | the whole body unstable, a functional short leg |
| are properly aligned to prevent premature arthritis. | | | | develops, and all kinds of postural problems and |
| While in the skiers crouch, move your knees slowly | | | | muscle overuse lead to pain, dysfunction, lost athletic |
| toward each other until you feel weight bearing | | | | capability, and ultimately loss of mobility. This is a |
| pressure on the balls of your feet behind your big | | | | problem we are born with, so you have been tearing |
| toes. Notice where the middle of your knees are | | | | your body down since you started walking. |
| now! If the middle of your knees are to the inside | | | | Although the problem is very complex, the solution is |
| of your 2nd toe, you structurally over pronate and | | | | almost too simple. A small wedge placed underneath |
| you are predisposed to musculoskeletal problems. | | | | the inside of the foot, specifically under the first |
| Make you a second bet! If you move your knees | | | | metatarsal and big toe will turn your world of |
| back over the middle of your feet again it will feel | | | | dysfunction and pain around and will provide |
| like you shifted the weight to the outside of your | | | | protection against future musculoskeletal injuries. |
| feet. | | | | Trying it is as easy as obtaining some mole skin at |
| Fact: Your feet and legs are out of alignment. You | | | | the drug store to fashion a wedge. Make the |
| end up with two bad choices: Properly weight | | | | wedge 3-4 mm tall and take it down to nothing |
| bearing feet and bad posture—knock kneed. Or, | | | | before it reaches the area behind the second toe. |
| the choice of most people, who muscularly force | | | | If it goes too far under the foot, it'll feel like a lump. |
| their knees into better alignment, better posture but | | | | This little wedge works through your nervous |
| with the result of painful feet and legs. | | | | system and your brain to activate the muscles that |
| Although they don't teach posture and body | | | | control your feet like this: Curl your toes under like |
| mechanics in medical school the way they used to, it | | | | you're picking up a towel from the floor with your |
| was no surprise to medical doctors almost a century | | | | feet, and do the knee bend again. You will feel your |
| ago, that standing up straight is the key to a | | | | arches come up, and more stable knees that naturally |
| healthier happier more active life. With the | | | | track over the middle of your feet. Bingo! Your |
| exception of the doctor who discovered Morton's | | | | body will realign itself, and you will stop the extra |
| Foot Syndrome, most of the doctors still don't know | | | | wear and tear that is the major cause of |
| most people are born with less than perfect feet. | | | | degenerative arthritis, and all kinds of other pain |
| Chiropodists, as podiatrists generally were called back | | | | ranging from foot, leg, knee, hip and back |
| then weren't of much help. They were already | | | | pain—even shoulder and neck pain, headaches and |
| happy selling arch supports to everyone regardless of | | | | TMJ pain. When you tire of clipping and gluing, you |
| whether their patients had high, medium, low or no | | | | can buy special insoles that put this exercise on |
| arches. They seemed to help at least for a while, | | | | automatic so you don't have to do anything but |
| and if the patients developed back or hip pain, it | | | | enjoy the results. |