Do you have healthy feet?

Grounding Through Your Foundation: The Importance of Foot Health

Our feet are remarkably formed structures that bear the weight of our entire frame. Each foot contains: 26 bones, 33 joints, more than 120 muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.

This complex architecture forms our connection to the earth. They are our foundation and they influence alignment, movement patterns, and even nervous system regulation.

The Bottom Up Effect of Foot Function

Research consistently demonstrates that limited ankle mobility and poor foot mechanics directly correlate with knee and hip dysfunction. When our feet lack strength and mobility, compensatory patterns happen elsewhere in the body. The fascial system is a continuous web of connective tissue, transmitting  tension from the feet upward. Foot tension can manifest as issues in seemingly unrelated areas like the lower back or neck. With all of my patients I have a look at their feet. How they stand and how their feet support the weight of their body.  At some point we end up talking about the feet, even if it's a patient who came for their neck or jaw pain.  It's all directly related, but it may seem far-fetched if you’re used to looking at the body as separately functioning units.  We’re holistic in structure and function. Your rehab should be holistic as well or it ends up falling short.  

The Three Pillars of Healthy Feet

1. Strength

Strong intrinsic foot muscles create a stable base. If you’re always using “supportive footwear” you’re never giving your feet the opportunity to get strong. You were born without shoes and the design of your feet doesn’t require shoes.  There are circumstances where arch support is needed, just like there are times when your wrist needs a brace, or a broken bone requires a cast for needed support.  Hopefully this inspires you to go barefoot and start to work on strengthening your foot intrinsics, but the process should be slow. Too much too soon can result in plantar fasciitis or tendonitis.  

2. Mobility

Our modern lifestyle of rigid footwear and flat surfaces has dramatically reduced natural foot articulation. We have 33 joints in the foot, but it often operates like a stiff brick, only bending at the toe joint.  The arch of your foot is like a trampoline- dropping down and receiving the weight of each step, then recoiling back up ready for the next step.  Each toe should have a bit of space in between, but due to footwear, the toes are often squished up against each other. 

3. Proprioception

Our feet contain thousands of nerve endings designed to gather information about terrain, temperature, and pressure. Walking barefoot when safe, or using textured surfaces to "wake up" these receptors, enhances balance and movement quality.

Try these Daily Practices:

• Spend 10 minutes daily barefoot on varied surfaces

• Roll your foot over a tennis ball to release tension

• Practice toe articulation: spreading, lifting, and lowering each toe individually

• Perform ankle mobility circles in both directions or try to draw the alphabet with your toes

• Stand on one foot while brushing your teeth to challenge balance and foot stability

As holistic practitioners, we understand that the body functions as an integrated whole. By nurturing the health of our feet, our literal foundation, we create positive changes that resonate throughout the entire system. Your feet are not just appendages for walking; they are sophisticated sensory organs essential for optimal movement, alignment, and wellbeing.

Interested in learning more? Join one of our Fluid Foundations workshops or classes to learn more.

This post is authored by Alicia Molloy PT, MSPT, CSCS, RYT500, a holistic physical therapist with 15+ years of experience specializing in integrative movement approaches. Her practice, Padme PT, combines evidence-based techniques with traditional wisdom to help clients build sustainable, pain-free movement patterns.