The Link Between Biomechanics And Pain

A House Built on Sand

Let’s make an analogy.

Have you ever seen a home with an unstable or failing foundation? Maybe you even lived in one for a time!

The results are not pretty.

Without a solid, level base of support, even the most well-built structures made from the toughest, most durable materials start to crumble.

Giant cracks start showing up on walls and ceilings. Windows and doors just won’t latch and close anymore. Gaps open up around window frames and counters start to tilt away from the wall. Floors start to sag or even bow. In the most serious cases, you could be looking at total structural failure of your home.

Well, your feet and ankles really aren’t so different.

Let’s say your feet are biomechanically compromised in some way. Perhaps you have a flat arch that isn’t really capable of cushioning the impact forces on your feet as well as it should.

The most obvious and probably earliest symptom you’ll notice is going to be foot pain. Your heels and the middle of your feet are going get swollen and fatigued much faster. You’ll be much more prone to develop conditions like plantar fasciitis, shin splints, foot arthritis, or even bunions and hammertoes due to the added stress on your muscles, bones, and joints.

But the problems are unlikely to remain in your feet. That flat arch, in all likelihood, pulled your heel bone out of its proper alignment with your ankle. It may have also altered the way that your joints and muscles move and operate when you walk.

In order to compensate for this added unsteadiness, your knees, hips, and even back may be pulled out of alignment—which adds extra stress and increases injury risk to those areas, too.

Basically, your entire standing skeletal structure can be compromised—leading to chronic pain and constant injury—simply because the biomechanics of your feet or ankles are out of whack.

But that’s not all bad news, because it means that fixing the problem at the source can set everything back in place. And unlike fixing your home’s foundation—which can easily reach five figures in severe cases—addressing your body’s foundation issues are often much simpler and cheaper than you might think.

A Passion for Biomechanics

Here’s a fun fact for you:

Did you know that, before she got into podiatric medicine, Dr. Victoria Melhuish actually studied to become a structural engineer?

(Those of you who are already patients of ours might now be thinking, “Wow, that explains a lot!”)

As weird as it might seem to bounce from one of these career paths to the other, we hope that reading this blog has made you see that the two occupations are really not so different—at least in a few critical respects.

In fact, you can say that Dr. Melhuish’s interest in biomechanics started at the very beginning—or actually, even before the very beginning, back when she was still hoping to become an engineer. And that background has given her a unique insight into the link between faulty biomechanics and pain all across the body.

Suffice to say, she has a passion for this stuff. And it’s why we continue to focus on biomechanics, orthotics, and other treatments based on addressing the fundamental causes of pain, rather than just the symptoms.

Other ways we might address your foot and ankle biomechanics include:

• Balance braces and fall prevention. Faulty biomechanics and unstable joints can contribute to a greater risk of falling, especially for seniors. We screen for balance issues and offer the Moore Balance Brace for individuals that need a little more support and stability.
• Physical therapy. Stretching and exercise can help restore healthy biomechanics to your feet and ankles by strengthening supporting muscles, improving joint flexibility and range of motion, and reducing pain. If necessary, we may refer you to a licensed physical therapist if we feel it is the right choice for your situation.
• Reconstructive surgery. In some cases, the fundamental structure of your feet or ankles must be corrected surgically in order to restore normal biomechanics and eliminate pain. Although Dr. Melhuish is an accomplished podiatric surgeon, we still consider this a “last resort” option for situations when orthotic and physical therapy are not effective on their own.

Are you sick of dealing with constant pain in your feet, ankles, knees, legs, hips, or even back? Your biomechanics may be to blame—and we can help.

To schedule an appointment with Sierra Foot & Ankle in Carson City, please call our office at (775) 783-8037 today.