Use Your Feet As A Warning Sign! - Key Cause of Chronic Pain Ruining Your Life | Jim Dooner
Here are the top 10 key takeaways from this eye-opening conversation about foot health and how it impacts your overall wellbeing, pain levels, and movement quality throughout life.
1. Movement as nutrition for the body
Our modern lifestyle creates a mismatch between what our bodies receive and what they evolved to expect. Movement acts like nutrition for our bodies through mechanotransduction, where mechanical forces create changes in our physiology. This concept was popularized by biomechanist Katy Bowman, who describes "movement nutrients" as essential for bodily health.
Most people today are essentially "malnourished" when it comes to movement. They don't get enough quantity, quality, or variety of movement nutrients. This is especially true for our feet, which are constantly confined in shoes that disrupt their natural function, leading to weakness and dysfunction that can affect the entire body.
2. Foot health impacts whole-body function
The feet serve as our foundation for movement and our conduit with the ground. Their job is to absorb impact forces, distribute weight, and propel us forward. When feet don't function properly, the rest of the body must compensate, potentially leading to overload and pain in other areas like knees, hips, and back.
While pain is multifactorial (influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors), mechanical environment plays a significant role in chronic pain. Poor foot function forces the body to compensate in ways that can contribute to issues throughout the entire kinetic chain. Many people don't realize that foot dysfunction could be contributing to their seemingly unrelated pain elsewhere in the body.
3. The biopsychosocial model of pain
Pain, especially chronic pain, is complex and influenced by multiple factors. The biopsychosocial model recognizes that pain involves biological factors (structural damage), psychological components (beliefs, stress), and social aspects (cultural context, relationships). This comprehensive approach helps explain why similar physical conditions can cause different pain experiences in different people.
While biological/structural problems matter, they don't always correlate with pain levels. For example, the severity of bunions doesn't necessarily predict pain levels, and Morton's neuromas (nerve thickening) can become asymptomatic with proper movement, even without structural changes. This explains why education about these conditions can sometimes be as effective as physical interventions.
4. Modern footwear disrupts natural foot function
Most modern footwear compromises foot health by restricting natural movement. Narrow toe boxes squeeze toes together, elevated heels change ankle positioning, and rigid soles prevent the foot from adapting to surfaces. These features developed not for function but largely for fashion and as status symbols throughout history.
The cultural perception of footwear has evolved from protective technology to fashion statements. Historically, narrow footwear became associated with nobility and wealth (signaling one didn't need to perform manual labor), which influenced modern shoe design. This cultural conditioning makes it difficult for many people to transition to more foot-friendly options despite potential health benefits.
5. The 5Fs framework for healthier footwear
The Foot Collective recommends evaluating footwear using their 5Fs framework: Foot-shaped (wide toe box), Fixed (secured to the heel), Flat (no heel-toe drop or arch support), Flexible (can be rolled up), and Feel (thin sole for ground feedback). These elements support natural foot function.
Not all transitions need to happen at once. For those with pain or longstanding issues, a gradual approach is recommended. The most important element is starting with foot-shaped shoes for daily wear, as this allows proper toe splay and alignment. People can progress through the other features as their feet adapt and strengthen.
6. Balance as a key indicator of foot function
Balance capability strongly indicates foot health because feet provide the foundation for stability. If someone struggles to maintain balance on one leg, this suggests their feet and ankles aren't integrating well with the rest of their body. This connection becomes increasingly important with age, as poor balance contributes to dangerous falls in older adults.
The modern environment rarely challenges our balance, leading to deterioration of this skill over time. Regular balance practice not only improves foot function but helps maintain this critical ability throughout life. Simple tests like standing on one leg or trying to move toes independently can reveal functional deficiencies that need addressing.
7. Play-based approach to foot rehabilitation
The Foot Collective emphasizes play as a powerful way to improve foot function. Play is an evolutionary trait seen in intelligent animals that helps develop movement skills and build community bonds. For adults, play bypasses the mental resistance often associated with exercise by making movement fun and intrinsically rewarding.
Balance training naturally lends itself to play and puts people in a mindful, present state. This approach not only improves physical function but provides psychological benefits by creating a state of flow where worries and stresses fade away. Even adults with chronic pain or limited mobility can engage with play-based foot exercises at an appropriate challenge level.
8. The principle of restore to explore
The Foot Collective uses the principle "restore to explore" in their approach to foot health. This means first restoring basic natural function through fundamental exercises, then exploring more challenging movements that develop adaptability and resilience. This progressive approach allows people to build capability over time.
Working in the "Goldilocks zone" – where challenge is not too easy but not impossibly difficult – is key to this approach. Finding the right level of challenge creates motivation to continue practicing and improving. Simple tools like their "soulmate" cork balance device can be adjusted to provide appropriate progression for people at any level.
9. It's never too late to improve foot function
Despite years or even decades of wearing conventional shoes, the body maintains remarkable adaptability. Dr. Chatterjee shared how his own "flat feet" developed arches after years of barefoot-style shoes and foot exercises. Similar improvements are possible for people of all ages, including the elderly, though the approach may need modification.
The key is gradual, consistent practice that respects current limitations while progressively challenging the feet to regain natural function. This applies to foot strength, mobility, and proprioception. Even people who have been told they have permanent foot conditions can often experience significant functional improvements and pain reduction through proper training.
10. Foot health as a gateway to overall wellbeing
Improving foot health often leads to broader positive changes in people's relationship with their bodies and movement. As people experience the benefits of better foot function – improved balance, reduced pain, more efficient movement – they often become more attuned to other aspects of natural movement and health.
The process of questioning conventional wisdom about footwear can spark deeper inquiry into other health assumptions. Additionally, the mindful awareness developed through balance training and foot exercises transfers to other areas of life. The sensory reconnection with the ground that comes from minimalist footwear or barefoot time creates a more embodied experience of movement that many find deeply satisfying.