Why Does Gout Attack The Feet?

Good question huh? Have you ever thought about that? (check out the video at the bottom of the page!)

I’ve been thinking about gout and foot health a lot lately.  I’ve come up with several different ideas about why it’s so important but there is not a lot of information out there about it.  Often, people who are battling gout get referred to a podiatrist.  If you Google, “gout and podiatry”, you will get a significant number of search engine results.  However, what you will find is that most of that information is pretty much the same old western medicine dogma about purines and uric acid, how red meat and alcohol cause gout, and which urate lowering therapy you should consider.

Gout and Foot Health

I think there is more to it than what western medicine would lead us to believe.  If you’ve been following along with some of my stuff I’ve been doing and writing and talking about, I’ve mentioned that I have my office here in Keystone Health & Wellness in Centennial, CO.  Also, I work with Keystone in a limited capacity as a physician’s assistant.  This all works out very well for me in many ways, including the fact that I get chiropractic adjustments regularly.

Interestingly enough, here at Keystone, we do a very specialized form of chiropractic called Advanced Biostructural Correction, or ABC for short.  There are so many different ways that our health can become compromised, and the condition of our structure is fundamental.

I did a Google Hangout about how posture misalignment and compensations can cascade into many different health problems that can eventually result in getting gout. All the innervation (communication carried by the nerves and nervous system) traveling through the spinal cord and out the spinal column through all the various nerves, effect how well our different body tissues, organs and systems are operating. If your spine is compromised, (and it probably is) it can play a significant role in how well you digest your food, how efficiently your pancreas and liver manage your blood sugar, the detoxification processes of the liver, and the very complicated inner workings of how the kidneys sort out all the acidic materials in our bodies, including uric acid.

When we are out of alignment – and we all are – due to the wondrous interconnectedness of our bodies, our feet take a beating.  For the most part, we have no idea how badly we abuse and neglect them.

“The Human Foot Is a Masterpiece”

The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

Did you know – the human foot:

• Is made up of 26 bones – one quarter of all the bones in the body.
• Has 33 joints.
• Is made up of more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
• Has a massive network of blood vessels and nerves.

Like a symphony, all the components of this amazing bio-mechanical structure provide us with support, balance, and mobility.  If something is off further up north, how we stand on our feet is affected.  All those fine, intricate, and precise bones and muscles are held together by tendons and ligaments.  If our structure is off, all those parts and pieces take a beating and they become susceptible to chronic illness. Additionally, what we eat and how we maintain the balance of our biochemistry determines the organic quality of all of those parts and pieces.

What Do YOU Do To Take Care Of Your Feet?

A few months ago, I started thinking a lot about this. One of the things I’ve been doing is massaging my feet extra carefully when I’m in the shower. I have a special exfoliating cloth that I use and I soap it up really well and spend a focused amount of time giving my gout-battered feet the attention they deserve!

Also, I got one of these cool Giam foot rollers.  The way I look at it, the more I can promote blood flow and bring flexibility to the muscles and joints in my feet, the less likely gout is going to be able to attack those joints.  Along with good healthy choices of what what I put in my mouth and the style with which I live my life, taking care of my feet by implementing good foot health habits is what being a gout killer is all about!

Healthy Foot Practitioner?

Yes, introducing Christina Mroz.  In researching foot health, I came across her video series and was so impressed, I felt like it would be irresponsible not to pass it on to you.

She really goes into not only how to promote better foot health, but also why.  This is a great education that anyone with gout should take advantage of.

As you can see, this first video is all about Alignment and how alignment affects the whole body.  The following three videos go into:

• The major role our Toes play in promoting other common foot problems if we don’t take care of them
• How to have strong, healthy Arches
• What proper Shoes and footwear can do to help us keep our feet in top shape

If you want to know more, check out her website at CompleteMotions.com

Bottom-Line:
There is so much we can do to keep our feet healthy and free from gout . . . if we just take the time to take care of them.

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