Women and the elderly suffer most from tired, aching legs, but men who stand long hours, especially in one position, may be affected too.
Symptoms
- A dull ache behind the knee or in the calf muscles
- A burning, pulling feeling in leg muscles
- Painful weariness or restlessness in legs at night
Causes
A common cause of tired, aching legs is poor blood circulation.
Another is strain and tension. If there is misalignment in the foot, it affects the alignment of the knee and hip also. This means all the ligaments and tendons between the joint areas, are under strain all of the time, especially when standing or walking. Bend a finger back and feel the burn. Strain brings pain! Muscles under strain or tension will ache and burn.
Treatment
Correcting alignment always relieves tension and removes strain.
If the feet are well supported and aligned, the posture line of the body will run true – this means that, in a side view, a straight connective line would pass through ears, shoulders, hips, knees and mid foot. See diagram. This balance will relieve tension in all the joint areas – ankles, knees, hips, back and neck. The connective tissue will be relaxed, instead of twisted and tight.
If there is excessive lateral rolling in the foot, or excessive pressure on the heel or ball of the foot, a burden of compensation is placed on the muscles in the lower limbs and upward into the spine and upper torso.
Consider the following: a high heel of 5 cm makes an angle of approximately 15° between the back of the foot and the ground. The body cannot tip forward at 15° and remains straight. So it is forced to compensate and the posture line becomes ‘S’ shaped in order to maintain balance. See diagrams.
Compensation = tension = strain = pain.
How do we keep our alignment right?
The starting point is the feet. Three-point support will keep the foot from over pronating or over supinating. The center of gravity will be correct, the posture line true, and tension and strain will disappear.
Wearing Soft Steps® will do this for you.
Soft Steps® also solve the problem of poor circulation. They flex with each step, creating a pump action which stimulates and improves the venous return. The result is better blood circulation and freer blood flow will relieve the discomfort of sluggish systems and promote a vibrant feeling of endurance and strength. No more tired, aching legs!
Try them. They are amazing!!