If you’ve ever thought that your chiropractor is there just to treat your back- then think again. Chiropractors are trained to look at the whole body, and they aim to understand how the spine relates to other parts of the body, particularly the hips, knees and feet.

Because the lower extremities support the spine through the pelvis, they will influence its mechanics, the way the pelvis stands and behaves. This will be all the more relevant if the symptoms are particularly worse when standing and/or walking. Because of this, chiropractors are particularly interested in the well-being of the feet and legs. The latter are designed to carry the body above and to provide movement while keeping the spine and pelvis in balance. These tasks are very demanding and require strength as well as agility. For these incompatible reasons, problems will occur and come within the field of chiropractors. Below we detail some of the problems commonly found in the lower limbs.

Feet and ankles

Ankle instability

Who has not twisted their ankle at some stage in their life? If you have, then you might still have some weakness, which could still be causing problems. The most common injury to the ankle is turning it in, such as when wearing high heels and turning it over by stepping on a stone or edge of a kerb. This is the common ankle sprain. Occasionally the end of a bone on the outside of the ankle breaks. Most often, the ligaments of the ankle on the front and side get torn and produce massive swelling and bruising. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to recover from the immediate injury. However, the ligaments very rarely repair satisfactorily and often become full of scar tissue which is not elastic. For this reason it is very common to roll the ankle over again and sprain it several times after the initial injury. Such repeated traumas will influence the mechanics of the ankle and cause some insult to the joint and the structures above such as the knee and spine. These usually tend to become obvious after jogging or long walks. Because the symptoms may not be in the ankle but in some distant joint, you do not necessarily think of that old ankle injury being the origin of it. Your chiropractor will, by careful case history and examination, be able to discover the possibility of this cause and remedy it accordingly.

Pronation

This is a weakness of the feet and often produces distortion such as flat feet, bunions, hammer toes and widening of the forefoot. Although pronation is often a consequence of ankle instability, it can happen on its own through various other factors such as prolonged standing, bad shoes or inherited tendencies. Much is now known about foot pronation and many chiropodists or podiatrists specialize in its correction. The most important factor however is to recognize the condition and your chiropractor is ideally suited to diagnose the problem. Your chiropractor may offer to correct the problem or may refer you to a podiatrist. She/he will also advise you on correct shoe wear and on the right type of exercise which will not strain your feet or make the condition worse.

Knees

The knees have the most unbelievable task of bending through 180 degrees between the two longest bones of the body and yet have very little support from the muscles (unlike the hip joint). For this reason, they rely on strong ligaments to keep the two bones together and the cartilages (menisci) to make them fit tightly together when the knee is fully extended. The wide range of movement means that the knee will be prone to wear an tear both at the kneecap and at the main joint (arthritis). When the knee starts to bend, the slackening of the ligaments makes the cartilages vulnerable to trauma. This is the main reason why footballers have so many knee injuries.

Arthritis is by far the most common problem of the knees and cannot be reversed. However, a good understanding of the mechanical strain on the knee can help us reduce the discomfort from it. This could come from the foot and ankle or the pelvis and the hip. Your chiropractor is well equipped to discover the pattern and advise you accordingly.

The cartilages are there to give strength to the knees. If they become injured, the knee will not be so strong but unfortunately, any loose bit must be removed to avoid worsening the condition. Recent surgical advances such as arthroscopy offer an invaluable help damaged cartilages. But again, improving the mechanics and support to the knee with chiropractic care will ensure maximum strength and support and help prevent further deterioration.

Hips

The most common affliction of the hips is arthritis. Early signs include stiffness in the groin and occasional sharp pain on some movements. These can exist for years and not be recognized as the early signs of an impending wear which can be precipitated by a variety of factors: prolonged weight-bearing, excessive strain when young (gymnastics), weakness at birth or during youth and others. A tight hip will also produce an unequal walking pattern and bring on possible pain in the lower back. Your chiropractor will recognize this pattern and be able to treat and advise you accordingly. This could delay the necessity for a hip replacement which most of us will want to delay for as long as possible.

Chiropractic management

There are many other problems of the lower extremities that are not mentioned here. Your chiropractor specializes in the mechanics of the bony frame and recognizes these problems readily. His expertise in the field of joint problems places him in an advantageous position to give you appropriate care and advice. He looks at the interaction of all the joints of the leg and pelvis and understands how they affect each other. He will probably try to correct the problem by conservative means first, in other words, by ways that do not involve surgery. But if your problem cannot be helped by gentler means, then more drastic measures such as a surgery will be discussed. In any situation, your chiropractor is probably the best person to call on first if you suspect your problem to be one involving bones and joints not working properly.