Do You Spend Long Hours Working on Your Feet?

How Are Feet Affected?
The foot has dozens of bones, joints, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, tendons and layers of fascia (connective tissue). When the body tissues are sufficiently stressed, they become swollen and/or inflamed. Chronic inflammation may create scar tissue and changes to bony structures. The "it is" behind the words such as "Achilles tendonitis" means "inflammation of the Achilles tendon".
The bones of the foot form arches that are supported by ligaments and muscles. These arches contribute to the strength, stability, mobility, and resilience of the foot. During standing, walking, running or jumping, the arches serve as shock absorbers, spreading energy before it is transferred higher up the leg.

If the arches are lost (for example through conditions of flat foot, overpronation, or simple overuse), the shock-absorbing quality of the arches disappears. This affects the feet, knees, hips and spine. Losing the arch in your feet also changes the position of the knee and hip, which makes them more vulnerable to injury from working on your feet.

Besides the stress of prolonged standing and walking on the foot, the architecture of the foot can also increase the symptoms from pre-existing conditions:

• Plantar fasciitis refers to the inflammation of the fascia under the heel. Flat or tilted feet (from heel pronation) and bony spurs in the base of the ankle may make the condition worse.


• Achilles tendonitis results from overstretching of the Achilles tendon.


• Bunions at the side of the big toe may arise because of heel pronation and may be aggravated by narrow shoe boxes (the area in front of the shoe) and prolonged standing/walking.


• Corns on top of the toes may be aggravated by scraping against the inside of your shoe.

What Are Possible Health Symptoms From Working On Your Feet?
The most common symptom from working on your feet, and usually the first to occur, is discomfort and fatigue in the legs.

The closer the body part is to the ground, the more likely it will be affected by prolonged standing (i.e. the feet are most often affected, followed by the shins and calves, followed by the knees, thighs, hips and low back). However, symptoms from working on your feet may reach to the top of your body. In some studies neck symptoms have been related to prolonged standing work!

Beyond simple fatigue and discomfort, more serious health effects can result from working on your feet. In lab experiments people could not distinguish fatigue in their legs from whole-body fatigue. Therefore, that whole-body fatigue feeling could be related to working on your feet.
Some of these are:

• Low Back Pain (Drewczynski, Hansen, et al., Redfern & Chaffin)


• Painful feet and other foot problems (Drewczynski, Hansen, et al., Redfern & Chaffin)


• Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Spurs (Cailliet)


• Orthopedic changes in the feet (e.g. flat feet) (Redfern & Chaffin)


• Restricted blood flow (from standing only) (Hansen, et al.)


• Swelling in the feet and legs (Drewczynski, Hansen, et al.)


• Varicose veins (Drewczynski)


• Increased chance of arthritis in the knees and hips (Croft, et al.)
  

Initial symptoms can start within minutes into a standing task. Health effects have been shown to accumulate within days (no studies have assessed longer time periods).

Click Here to read the full article

How Z-CoiL Footwear Can Ease Your Back Pain

According to the American Chiropractic Association, 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some point in their lives, and half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from disease of the internal organs, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.

How Z-CoiL® footwear can help:
The shock-absorbing heel in Z-CoiL® footwear, in conjunction with thick forefoot cushioning, reduces impact to the body by up to 50% compared to conventional shoes. The built-in Z-Orthotic™ also promotes good posture, which relieves further stress on your back, while rocker-bottom soles in the shoes help you maintain a smooth gait as you walk.

Test out a pair of Z-CoiL shoes for yourself and feel the difference! Z-CoiL Store Locator

5 Tips To Ease Back Pain

Roughly 8 out of 10 people suffer from back pain at some point during their lives. Women, in particular, are prone to posture and back problems—thanks to toting around outrageously heavy purses, going through pregnancy, or giving one-hip rides to kids. Whether you’re in the midst of fighting the ache or just want to prevent it, here are some expert-endorsed quick-and-easy ways to wage your war.

Pass the broccoli, please
You know that calcium is key for strong bones, but Japanese researchers have identified something else you need: vitamin K. It’s believed that the vitamin, found in broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens, helps calcium deposit in the bones, making them denser. The stronger your bones, the stronger your whole body—and the lower your chances of an injury that could cause back pain.

Lighten your load
If your purse or briefcase tips the scales at more than 10 percent of your weight, it’s too heavy. And you need to carry it right. Your best bet is a model with a long strap that lets you position it across your chest like a messenger bag. Can’t part with your shorter-strapped number? Switch shoulders every 20 minutes.

Sleep right
A harder bed may not be better for your back. A recent study in Spine found that people who slept on softer beds reported less lower-back pain than those who snoozed on harder ones.
Pillows? Yours shouldn’t raise your head out of alignment with your spine. How to tell: If you’re a back sleeper, your chin shouldn’t press into your chest. If you’re a side sleeper, it shouldn’t curve up toward your shoulder.

Tighten those abs
Having strong core muscles (we’re talking abs here) can help protect your back from injury. Do this core-strengthening pelvic tilt 2 to 3 times per week: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and lower back flattened. Pull in your belly button toward your spine, contracting your abs; your pelvis should lift slightly off the floor. Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 reps.

Aim for good posture
Sitting at a desk for eight (or more) hours a day can really do a number on your back. Make sure to sit with your back against your chair (get a lumbar pillow if you chair doesn’t allow this) and both feet flat on the floor. Another option: Try using a stability ball as your desk chair. Start off slow (20 minutes at a time), and if it feels good, stick with it.

Courtesy Health.com

Overworked Muscles? Soothe them with this quick tip!

Soreness that comes a day or two after you exercise is called delayed-onset muscle soreness, but you probably know it as plain old pain. The delayed ache is caused by tiny tears in the muscle that become inflamed. It’s a signal from your body to slow down and take a rest.

To quickly soothe those aching muscles run a warm bath and pop four antacid tablets into the water and soak your body for 20 minutes. When muscles are overextended, they swell, impeding blood flow and causing pain. Antacid tablets contain sodium bicarbonate, which gets blood circulating again. They also contain aspirin, which helps ease pain even when applied topically.

You can prevent sore muscles by warming up before you exercise and cooling down afterward, advises Jacob Schor, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Denver and president of the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Doctors. Include at least a few minutes of movement with each of the major muscle groups—the calves, thighs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, and arms.