Pain in the .... Foot?
Foot pain and what you can do about it through the use of Reflexology

March 09th 2008 - Pain in the …. Foot?

By Robin Cunningham, LMT, CH, RRMT, SF

Do your feet hurt? Maybe you never thought about it, but check it out. Maybe they only hurt on occasion, perhaps only when you get up in the morning, or after being on them for a few hours. You may even think it is “normal” for your feet to ache a bit during the day.

Or, is it much more pronounced? Is there tingling, shooting pain, numbness? Are you limiting your activities because of your painful feet?

What causes chronic foot pain? Plantar fasciitis, diabetes, corns, calluses, bunions, heel spurs, hereditary problems, weight problems, poor nutrition, poor fitting shoes, improper walking/running gait, to name just a few.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, it is not normal to have painful feet. If you suffer from painful feet, of any nature, first see your doctor to rule out any major illness, (diabetes is a major cause of foot neuropathy, or numbness), see your podiatrist on a regular basis, and consider foot massage or reflexology as a chronic pain management tool.

Here are a few statistics for you from the American Podiatric Medical Association:
75% of Americans will experience foot health problems in their lives.
Only 5% of Americans visit a podiatrist, and those individuals are mostly older.
Women have 4 times the foot ailments as men, primarily due to extensive use of high heeled shoes.
The majority of all foot problems stem from neglect and poor fitting shoes.
25% of diabetics will suffer some kind of neuralgia of the feet.
The average person walks 115,000 miles in their lifetime, 8000 to 10,000 steps a day.


Here are a few statistics of my own:

Nearly 50% of the individuals that I see in my practice suffer from some kind of chronic foot and/or lower extremity pain.
75% of those are male.
100% of them never thought about massage, or reflexology as a treatment option until they had exhausted all of their contemporary medical options.
100% of them have seen results, especially from reflexology, in reduction of pain, tingling and numbness in their feet. Sometimes temporary, sometimes more permanent.
100% of them are actively involved in changing their lifestyles to improve their foot health.

If you suffer from foot pain, first identify the cause, if possible, then begin a regular foot care program of flexibility (key for overall vascular and nerve health), good eating (eliminate artificial sweeteners for one), exercise (walking is the best medicine), and massage or reflexology. See your doctor, and make friends with your podiatrist. Your feet are your best friends…. Keeping them happy will keep your overall health happy.



Contact Member:
Empowering Alchemy LLC
Taos, New Mexico
Taos, NM 87571
United States
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