How Foot Pain Can Echo Throughout Your Body
Our feet are the foundation of our bodies, and when something is wrong with the foundation, the rest of the structure could suffer. Such is the case with foot problems and their ripple effects. Pain, discomfort, and debilitating changes to our knees, hips, and other parts often ensue if you don’t do anything to address them, which is why you need the trusted guidance from experts like us at Goldsmith Podiatry to correct the following abnormalities.
Legs and Calves
The muscles in your legs and calves are intimately connected to your foot and ankle movement. When you have foot pain or a biomechanical issue, these muscles often have to overcompensate.
For example, if your foot isn't pushing off efficiently due to arch pain, your calf muscles might work harder, which can lead to tightness or Achilles tendonitis. Similarly, altered walking patterns can strain the shin muscles, contributing to conditions like shin splints. These secondary leg problems arise not from direct trauma to the leg but from the cumulative stress of an impaired foot.
The Knee
Yes, conditions that alter the mechanics of your foot can affect knee alignment. For instance, if your foot rolls excessively inward (common with flat feet or a collapsing arch), it actually forces your shin and thigh bone to rotate inward, too.
This abnormal rotation demands a lot from the knee joint and leads to conditions we call “runner’s knee” or exacerbates existing knee arthritis.
And, in general, let’s say you’re limping from foot pain, say, from plantar fasciitis. That limp also puts pressure on the knee, which is why people are given canes after rehab to offload some of that pressure.
Hips and Lower Back
As pain and abnormalities move up the body, we arrive at issues affecting the hips and lower back; the misalignment of the knee can then cause dysfunctional rotation of your hips.
Over time, this can impact the pelvis's alignment and cause unnatural tilt or rotation that stresses the lower spine. Hip pain then radiates to back pain, and so on.
Other Foot Problems That Could Affect Your Body
More subtle foot problems that could be impacting your body more than you know (and vice versa):
High Arches: While often asymptomatic, high arches can be very rigid and poor shock absorbers. This can lead to increased impact being sent directly up the leg.
Leg Length Discrepancy: Pelvic tilt can start with compensatory changes in the foot, such as pronation on the longer side or supination on the shorter side.
Stiff Big Toe: Limited motion in the big toe joint (due to arthritis) prevents the foot from rolling efficiently during push-off.
Start today. Your feet will thank you tomorrow. For more advice when it comes to your foot health and wellness, give us a call at (212) 877-1002 so Dr. Howard Goldsmith, Dr. Rosanna Troia, and Dr. Kristina T. Ruff at Goldsmith Podiatry can help alleviate any podiatric problems you’re facing.