“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or the willow survives by bending with the wind.”
~ unknown
“… as we grow older the risks associated with falling over become greater: we lose physical strength and bone density, our sense of balance deteriorates and we take longer to recover from a fall.”
~ Dawn Skelton,
Professor of Ageing and Health,
Glasgow Caledonian University
Two weeks ago I talked about feet – and how they are (or supposed to be!) extremely sensitive, not just to hold us up or carry us about.
The soles of our feet are – like ears or eyes – a sensory organ.
Here is how the pressure sensors in our feet work:
When we step on something (a rock, root, or – every parents’ nightmare – a Lego block) our foot changes its shape.
The many bones and joints in our feet flex and move, and this flexing and moving creates a neurological “image” in the systems of the body that are responsible for balance. This joint movement in our feet – just like hearing, seeing, and smelling – tells our body a thing or two about our environment to help us navigate it with ease – be it rocks, roots, or Lego blocks.
Good balance relies on clear communication of correct information from feet to brain. Brain then integrates this information and commands the body to respond with the most subtle shifts of the ankle, knee, hip or pelvis – shifts that allows the body to stand or move without falling.
What happens if the joints of our feet are stuck in one position, glued together because of arthritis, because our feet spent the majority of their time in shoes with inflexible soles – or simply because we don’t lift our toes once every while?
These sticky, glued together spots begin to disrupt the normally fine-tuned communication between our feet and the brain. Eventually, our body’s postural correction system starts to fail, partially because our feet have lost their sensitivity, mobility, and the ability to tell the brain how to keep us balanced; and partially because our postural muscles forgot how to respond to brain commands.
When this happens, even the smallest obstacles – like a slight crack in the sidewalk, a dip in the floor, or an icy patch on the driveway – can all spell a big trouble.
And whenever sticky spots in the feet are paired with sticky spots in the hips, knees, back and shoulders, moving – and often even standing – can become painful. Our walk starts to resemble a series of lurches or shuffles rather than a series of steps, which can further strain our already-not-so-happy tissues.
No doubt, this can – and does! – affect not just our ability, but also our willingness to move – and so we grow less and less mobile, and more and more stiff. It is not at all uncommon to get stuck in this vicious lose – lose circle.
Lose lose is no fun.
Let’s get out of it, shall we?
Hey, my name is Julia
Living with chronic pain has taught me to look for solutions in unlikely places – places where most people see only problems.
Over the years I’ve gotten to be pretty good at this problem-solving and silver-lining finding thing.
So good that I felt compelled to share what I’ve learned and help others to find their sea legs while navigating, living, and winning their battle with chronic pain.
