As we have explored in our last article; covering up the Check Engine Light and driving with your vehicle out of alignment, are not the best sustainable choices and can incur some unfavorable consequences. We concluded by addressing that in the same way that you would select an auto-mechanic who has, as his/her focus, the root cause of the Check Engine Light or the vehicle’s premature wear-and-tear, you may want to seek healthcare providers who treat the body similarly, rather than just masking pain.

As Dr. Zyrowski and myself are strong promoters of running and various forms of physical exercise, in this article, you will learn some important guidelines for selecting proper footwear. The importance of a good quality shoes cannot be overemphasized, as this one factor will indeed play a part in how well your joints, along the kinetic chain, can adapt to the stresses of your sport-specific activity.

There are several key factors in purchasing a good quality athletic shoe. One is the amount of pronation and supination (the amount that your feet rotate inwards or outwards) during each stride. The second important factor is a snug and well-tailored fit for your foot and arches.

A good running shoe will actually make your feet feel a bit lighter, as they are more form fitting to the arches and heel of your foot. This allows for less rubbing to occur during your chosen activity, which will help to prevent blisters. Additionally, from a structural standpoint, if you are engaged in running with shoes that are improperly fitted, you are likely putting unnecessary stress on all of the joints, along the kinetic chain. For example, if your foot is unstable during heel strike, compensation could be taking place from the toes and arches, up through the knee and all the way into the hip and spine, resulting in injury or degenerative changes, at one or all of the joints. When the biomechanics of the body are intact, the body is brilliantly designed to disperse repetitive forces so that injury does not occur.

One of our top suggestions for the runners and other athletes in our practice, is to not skimp when purchasing an athletic shoe. It is imperative to seek out a sport-specific shoe store, who is well-trained and experienced with making sure that their customers have the most suitable footwear for their chosen activity. It is not enough to go into a large retail store and order up your size 11 sneaker.

Because a proper fitting is so important and will ultimately pay off in dividends, both in better performance and less injuries, we suggest to all our patients that they get professionally fitted for their athletic shoes. If you are looking for such a store locally, may we suggest Hanson’s Running Store, as they are, in our opinion, one of the most knowledgeable and most well equipped to insure that you are getting just the right fit. If you are one of our patients, please tell them that we sent you in and they will be sure to take excellent care of you.

At Eximius Chiropractic, we are amongst a very small group of doctors in the world that focus, solely, on Neuro-Structural Chiropractic Care. If you have enjoyed this information, please feel free to pass it along to your family and friends. If they are interested in learning more, we would be happy to schedule a COMPLIMENTARY Consultation. Our patients rave about our Complimentary Consultation, as they are very informative. It is only a conversation and there is never a commitment.