Many chiropractors and experts believe those identical stats are not a coincidence. Proper foot alignment can cause an array of problems including back pain, sciatica, sacral joint pain, sway back, hip joint pain, posture problems, tightness in the legs and back, disc bulges, knee pain, osteoarthritis, pelvic imbalance, piriformis syndrome and even headaches. And that is not including problems that can occur with the actual feet themselves. But let’s take a moment to look at what can happen with uneven distribution as you walk: According to a 2009 study done by the American Podiatric Medical Association, the average person walks 8,000 to 10,000 steps in one day. That’s a lot of movement of the many bones, muscles and joints of our feet anke ankles. All of this walking can be especially hard on your body and spine if there are altered mechanics of your feet, legs and pelvis. If your feet start to over pronate—meaning your arches collapse and ankles roll in—they might not properly support your body1. Like a house on a bad foundation, your whole body is impacted. Your knees can rotate inward, your back can over arch, your shoulders can roll forward—practically the dictionary definition of bad posture. With bad posture, over time you can even cause physical damage to your muscles, ligaments, and joints.
