Category Archives: back problems

Shoes for Balance Problems

What Shoes Tell You about Balance Problems (and Possible Back Pain)

I have a suggestion that will eat up 15 seconds of your day. That is not a bad deal, right? Better yet, what you discover in these 15 seconds will very likely reveal the actual reason for any balance issues (or back problems) you may currently be experiencing.

Convinced to do it? I hope so.

Examine how the heels of your shoes are wearing.  (OK. Maybe the task is a little longer than 15 seconds if you have to take off your shoes, but not much longer). If the heels of your shoes show more wear on the outside than inside, it probably means your hips are misaligned. Your balance will be compromised. Worse, your back may be screaming out in pain whenever you take a step.

I know just about as much as you do about hip misalignments. How do I know wearing on the heels of shoes tell all? In my earlier years I had severe back pain. My solution initially was to see a chiropractor. Did the chiropractor observe me walking so the problem could be evaluated? Nope! All he did was look at the bottom of my shoes.

Here is a picture of the shoes I wore at the time.

Shoes Robert Rodgers wore when a PhD Student at Michigan State University
Shoes Robert Rodgers wore when a PhD Student a Michigan State University

You probably first noticed that these shoes have not been polished.  Well, hey. I was focused on earning my PhD, not on making sure my shoes were polished.

What I want you to notice is the wearing on the outside half of the heels on both shoes. I was placing most of my weight on the outside edges of both feet when walking and running rather than the inside edges. Centered balance is achieved when we place more weight on the inside edges of our feet than the outside. The foot is built to withstand more weight there.

Years pass. Check out what the heels of my current shoes look like today.

Wearing on Heels of Robert's Shoes Today
Wearing on Heels of Robert’s Shoes Today

First, notice that I wear shoes today that do not have to be polished. I still did not polish shoes after I finished graduate school so I now buy shoes that do not need polishing.

Second, notice that the wear on the bottom of the heels is more even – not perfect by any means – but a lot better than shown in the first image of shoes from graduate school days.

How does the wearing on the soles of my shoes “tell all” today?  I have no back pain.

In summary, if you are having balance problems, examine the heels of your shoes. The cause of the problem may well be rooted in a misalignment of your hips.

I have just developed a program that offers a wide variety of strategies, tips, suggestions, therapies and programs that bring hips back into perfect alignment. Click on the link below for the inside scoop on my new program.

http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me 

Many options exist to bring hip problems back into balance. If your hips are not in perfect alignment today (by inspecting wearing on the heels of your shoes) rest assured that you hips eagerly await your tender loving attention. They do not want to be out of balance any more that you do!

Robert Rodgers PhD
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease

P.S. A chiropractor did not solve my back problem. I figured it out all by myself.

Numbness in Feet and Legs

Can someone help me I was told I have Parkinsons in 2007  I am on 7 Sinement a day and I have numbness in feet and legs and difficulty walking. I have to walk and work. I have had two back surgeries and I am looking for help

Kathleen

Response:

I have been conducting research the past 6 years on the various factors that cause symptoms of Parkinsons Disease the therapies that are helping people recover. The good news for you is that there are incredible resources that are available to you. Start listening to archives of the the Parkinsons Recovery Radio Show. You will discover a wealth of information and resources there. Any of the shows I have aired can be downloaded for free. Many of my guests give out their contact information so you can contact them directly for further input.

Parkinsons Recovery is sponsoring a Summit in Cincinnati Ohio June 22-23. Why not attend the Summit? You will discover a wealth of resources there.

http://www.summit.parkinsonsrecovery.com

Finally, you might consider taking daily baths with Epson salts which essentially are a form of magnesium. I am guessing the source of the problem may lie with a deficiency of magnesium in your body. You might discuss with your doctor the advisability of taking baths with Epson salts.

 

Help is available. You have taken the first important step by asking for it!

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Pioneers of Recovery
http://www.pioneersofrecovery.com

Spine Stretches For Back Problems

This video clip was filmed at the Parkinsons Recovery Summit in March, 2011. The suggestion that is offered responds to a question I asked for reports of any and all therapies people found had been helpful and effective. This explanation centers on a spine stretch that is treated with special equipment by a chiropractor. The machine that was used by the chiropractor to do the adjustments that is referenced in this discussion is a DRX9000C.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me

[flashvideo filename=videos/spinestretch.flv image=videos/spinestretch.jpg /]

If the videos you watch here start and stop, just pause the video for about 30 seconds and allow the live streaming to catch up.