Tuesday Aug 13, 2024

133. Managing Lower Leg and Foot Pain | Dr. Emily Splichal

“The way that I look at the foot and the ankle is from a very integrated perspective,” shares Dr. Emily Splichal, a functional podiatrist and expert in human movement. In this episode, she joins Dr. Andrew Fix to discuss her holistic approach to podiatry, which considers how stress, diet, and sleep affect foot health—moving beyond the traditional focus on shoes and orthotics.

They explore how foot stability, rather than overpronation, is often the root cause of issues like plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy. Dr. Splichal introduces her strategy of “putting out the fire” to manage inflammation and support healing. They also delve into the unique structure of the Achilles tendon and the potential of red light therapy for improving foot health.

For practical advice, Dr. Splichal advocates for functional exercises that combine foot positioning with core stability, offering a fresh perspective on achieving optimal foot performance. This episode of The Code challenges conventional podiatric practices, emphasizing a comprehensive, movement-based approach to foot care.

Quotes

“I am a functional podiatrist… The way I look at the foot and ankle is from a very integrated perspective. In fact, I actually get most of my patients out of their orthotics and supportive shoes. I’m trying to help them find the natural strength of their feet. Part of my role as a functional podiatrist is to factor in stress levels, diet, and sleep, systemically considering what could be influencing the patient’s presentation.” (02:29 | Dr. Emily Splichal)
“We all need to pronate. That’s how you unlock and load energy when you move dynamically. But what is the timing of that? What is the deceleration of that unlocking? And that’s really, really important. And that’s oftentimes the overlooked piece.” (15:57 | Dr. Emily Splichal)
“Proper foot function is based on long, straight, flat digits. It’s important to understand and feel how your rear foot rotates. If you’re everted and unlocked, you should externally rotate your hips slightly to lift the arch. You can consciously do this by rotating your hips to lift the arch. From there, you’ll have a nice stable base to move into your foot exercises.” (34:50 | Dr. Emily Splichal)
“The Achilles tendon is the largest, strongest tendon in the human body. This is when we walk and run and do dynamic movement. This is where we get the greatest amount of our elastic recoil. So, just a lot of the dynamics of movement is based on the Achilles tendon, which is important.” (43:37 | Dr. Emily Splichal)
“Vibration is good for bone, but it needs to be controlled. Excess vibration due to a slow foot or a disconnect from the ground can cause problems. For example, some people get shin splints because they have no perception of the ground and their foot strike pattern. So that’s one thing I consider and say, ‘Okay, we need to tune you into your feet and your movement. I need you to feel the vibration and understand how to contract your muscles around it.’ Sometimes the issue is foot strength, foot type, or the loading response being overloaded, possibly from running on concrete.” (01:01:54 | Dr. Emily Splichal)

Links

Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:

https://bit.ly/44pgszD

https://www.instagram.com/naboso_technology/

https://www.instagram.com/thefunctionalfootdoc/

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