The Shoe Wear Evaluation:

OK, you're going to have to be my eyes on this one.  Get a pair of your own old flat-soled shoes from the closet and tell me where the wear marks are. The shoes should have been new when you got them and not worn for any period of time by anyone else (or we will be testing THEM instead of YOU!) 

If you wear orthotics, shoe inserts, or custom-made shoes, you may have a bit of a challenge seeing your weaknesses, but just get an older pair of your soft-soled slippers or flip-flops to look at.

I prefer to use any and all means possible to find the pieces to  the puzzle of how you are out of balance. Remember, I'm also a veterinarian and many of my patients can't communicate with me in the normal ways, so I have to be very observant. The same goes for humans. Sometimes they have put up with things for so long, they won't bring them up because they have just accepted them, but the body really is interlinked to every body part and organ. If one can build the story behind all the symptoms and get to the core cause of the dis-ease process, then we can get to that healthy core which we all have in us deep inside.

Your  shoes can give us clues to what is wrong in your body by evaluating  where you put pressure when you walk. Sometimes you will shift your weight to stay away from certain reflexology points because to avoid a mild form of discomfort. At other times you will put extra pressure on reflexology points to stimulate energy and circulation to area. This is only one of the body's attempts to heal what ails it.

You would be amazed at how God has put our bodies together with SO many back up systems just in case one system needs help.

Here are some things you'll want to look for:

Wear on the big toe can mean you are not getting enough circulation to the head. It can also be a sign of migraine headaches or eye problems.

Wear on the outside edge can indicate back problems all along the spine.

Wear on the inside edge can mean gall bladder, shoulder or hip problems. The gall bladder meridian runs on the same channels as the knee. It's common to have people tell me they have had their gall bladder removed only to need knee replacement surgery 20-30 years later. If you can keep this meridian nourished, you may be able to prevent those knee replacements!

Wear on the outside heel usually indicates a kidney meridian or bladder meridian imbalance. Other evidence to support this would be a concurrent low energy time from 3-5pm or 5-7pm. (Energy meridians all run in two-hour cycles).  Including more beans in your diet can correct this to some extent (usually from 3-7 cups of beans/week).

Sometimes, though it is a result of a "dropped" bladder or kidneys. Do you have other week tendons and ligaments? Is there also urinary incontinence? If you are a woman, do you have children? They can take lots of nutrients out of your body which weakens the connective tissues allowing the organs to drop. Do you hold your weight below the belly button and have "thunder thighs"? These are also clues to where you are out of alignment with health. Check out Dropped Bladder under Healing Techniques. Many women get immediate help with urinary incontinence by doing this technique.

Kidney meridian people also can have lots of emotions of dread, worry, anxiety and  fear surrounding them. This can be fixed with nutrition and homeopathics--specifically Kidney RET emotional remedy.

Wear in the ball of the foot can mean many things.  It can be a clue for heart, lung, liver or pancreatic imbalances.

Wear on the outside ball of the foot: Shoulder problems

Wear on the entire back edge of the heel can indicate sciatic problems. Find a massage therapist that does Reiki Massage. Work on the butt area, but not with deep connective tissue massage. You should feel some discomfort, but not pain. You should feel soreness for 24 hours after the massage. Drink lots of water for 24 hours after the treatment to help flush out the toxins.

The goal is to dissolve scar tissue in the area and reestablish the circulation to the sciatic nerve. Have the practitioner use long, firm strokes from the gluteus down and drawing all the energy gently down the back of the leg and out the feet. 

Using a Nikken "Kenko or Back Flex" (a magnet about 5 inches by 7 inches in a wedge shape Item # 1447) will also help reestablish the circulation.  The shiny side should face out and the black material side should be on your skin. I would never be without my Back Flex.  I'm totally sold on this product for low back pain, stomach aches and menstrual cramps.

I also have an herbal formula I call "Old Dog Formula" that has equal amounts of Yucca, Siberian Ginseng and Gingko in it that works well to help with the circulation in this area. Make your own up (use high-quality herbs) or purchase a bag of 100  ($16 plush S/H) or some bulk formula ($10/quarter cup)  from me. The dose is usually two capsules/day for 2-3 months.

So, where to you wear your shoes?

What would you like to find?