Simple Steps to Foot Pain Relief. Katy Bowman
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SIMPLE STEPS TO FOOT PAIN RELIEF
Also by Katy Bowman
Diastasis Recti (Propriometrics Press, 2016)
Don’t Just Sit There (Propriometrics Press, 2015)
Whole Body Barefoot (Propriometrics Press, 2015)
Move Your DNA (Propriometrics Press, 2014)
Alignment Matters (Propriometrics Press, 2013)
Every Woman’s Guide to Foot Pain Relief (BenBella Books, 2011)
SIMPLE STEPS TO FOOT PAIN RELIEF
The New Science of Healthy Feet
KATY BOWMAN, MS
Copyright © 2016 by Katy Bowman
Introduction © 2016 by Katy Bowman
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of any information contained in this book. A healthcare professional should be consulted regarding your specific medical situation. Any product mentioned in this book does not imply endorsement of that product by the author or publisher.
BenBella Books, Inc.
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Dallas, TX 75231
Send feedback to [email protected]
First E-Book Edition: September 2016
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN-13: 978-1-942952-82-4
e-ISBN: 978-1-942952-91-6
Editing by Erin Kelley
Copyediting by Lisa Miller & Karen Levy
Indexing by Amy Murphy Indexing & Editorial
Text design by Silver Feather Design
Text composition by PerfecType, Nashville, TN
Front cover design by Connie Gabbert
Full cover design by Sarah Dombrowsky
Printed by Lake Book Manufacturing
Illustrations by Carol Gravelle, Cecilia Ortiz (Ch. 6; figure adapted from Rossi) Photography by Cecilia Ortiz, J. Jurgensen Photography, Brad Kazmerzak (Ch. 3) Models: Breena Maggio, Tim Harris, Michael Kaffel
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD by Theresa Perales, DPM
How much do you know about your own anatomy? Did you know that you should be able to lift each toe by itself? Can you? If not, the basics of foot motion will be a fun ride!
Any former ballerinas or soldiers out there walking around with their feet turned out? Why do our gait patterns differ so greatly from person to person, but tend to be the same within a family? (Hint: it’s not only your genes!)
CHAPTER 3
The Foot Bone Is Connected to the Hip Bone
Sometimes foot pain is created much higher in your body than you realize. The way you stand can load tissue in the wrong place, causing it to wear out before its time. Do you wear your hips out in front of you? That’s a good place to start looking for likely culprits!
CHAPTER 4
Are Bunions Genetic?
Even though bunions tend to run in a family, their appearance in your family tree has a lot more to do with the way you learned to move your body and the footwear you are choosing to wear, as opposed to flaws in your tissue. Find a solution here!
CHAPTER 5
Your Shoes … a Map
The parts of a shoe go beyond the latest style. By learning to identify four main characteristics, you can make smart choices when it comes to improving your outfit—and your foot health.
CHAPTER 6
Shoe Science
What is it about a shoe, really, that limits foot health? Turns out that the four main parts of a shoe each have particular qualities that can increase the development of common ailments like hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, bunions . . . just to name a few!
CHAPTER 7
Undermining Our Own Health
Are shoes limiting the feet? Are high heels really that bad? If a shoe were implicated in ailments of the foot, knee, or spine, wouldn’t it be on the front of every newspaper? Well, the research is showing something, and it’s time to start talking about it.
CHAPTER 8
The Foot Gym
Everyone knows they are supposed to exercise, but few of us know what to do with the muscles in the foot … and there are a lot of them down there. This chapter offers a simple, easy-to-follow program that will help you restore function to the underused muscles in the feet, as well as increase circulation to the tight, overstressed tissue of the lower leg.
CHAPTER 9
Taking the Next (First) Step
Do healthy feet require a complete closet