What if I told you that the posture of your foot has a tremendous effect on your knee, hip and even your lower back? Seems crazy, right? Let’s find out why the posture of your foot may be the missing link to getting you back to pain free movement. It’s no secret that the feet are our foundation – they must be both flexible and stable.

A common posture known as overpronation, also referred to as a “collapsed arch” or “flat foot”, occurs when your foot rolls inward. This collapsed and unstable foot posture can be diabolic toward your knee, hip and lumbar spine – here’s why. With a collapsed foundation, you’ll find that your knee tends to drift in towards the center of your body; this is known as a knee valgus. Knee valgus results in unnecessary stress on the structures of your knee, not to mention this poor alignment is a recipe for future injuries like ligament damage and osteoarthritis. Click the following link to watch a detailed explanation of knee valgus and how to combat it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNuiX1OSB24&t=364s). As we mentioned, not only does the posture of your foot affect your knee, but it plays a role in the position of your hip. Overpronation results in your hip falling into an inwardly rotated position – once again putting stress on structures, continually putting you at risk for more injury and more pain. With this poor alignment throughout the lower half of your body, it’s no surprise the lumbar spine becomes vulnerable as well.

Lets try this posture on your own so you see and feel the effects of overpronation. Here is a step by step guide to demonstrate just how the posture of your foot affects your knee and hip:

–       Start by standing, preferably barefoot

–       Try to get the inside of your foot to touch the ground

–       Notice your knee collapses to the center of your body

–       You’ll also find that your thigh rotates in as well

–       Take a quick inventory – note any pain or increased pressure

By reversing this posture – lifting the arch, evenly distributing the weight through the entire foot you’ll immediately notice your posture improve resulting in a more stable and more powerful foot posture.

For an assessment of your foot posture and corrective exercises, created specifically for you! 

Call to schedule a consultation with one of our Specialist Physical Therapists at Universus Physical Therapy: 631-533-2888 https://universuspt.com

Additionally: Our expertly trained team will do a foot scan on our top of the line Foot Levelers scanning device! This will give information about your weight distribution in regards to your foot and whether or not you are a candidate for custom orthotics! Many of our clients opt into custom orthotics and they say that they feel their alignment, balance and pain is much improved with versus without the orthotics!!