Gait Reflexes are used to help back pain by many Applied Kinesiology practitioners. However, they are far more beneficial than just for pain relief. If you are one of my clients you may remember these reflexes, as they are when I rub certain points on your feet…
For some these may be very tender, as this indicates they are having issues.
This blog post is to clarify what they are and why I use them so often.
Gait Reflexes and Back Pain
When you walk you are designed to do so in a balanced fashion. Your left leg moves forward at the same time as your right arm. Then the opposite side moves in the same manner. Walking though is not a straight forward motion, your leg actually swings out in an arc for you to move forward.
So in fact, you have a muscle allowing your hip to drop, another to swing the leg out, another to drive it forward, then another to pull it back…
All the while you have other muscles working on the opposite side of you body in the same manner to make sure you don’t topple over. All helping you to stay in balance.
When the Gait Reflexes slow then this coordination of movement also fails. Muscles don’t work as together as they should, which places strain on your joints and muscles and can lead to back pain.
This is why it is important to check these reflexes to make sure they are functioning well. In certain cases, treating just the reflexes can remove pain quickly, throughout the body.
However these reflexes can cause more than a few structural issues. Why?
Reflexes and Your Heath
Think of these reflexes in a different way. Imagine if you car tires weren’t all pointing in the same direction. You would have more problems than simple tire wear. It would place a strain on the engine, you’d use more fuel, the car is more likely to swerve and create an accident.
The same with your body…
Gait Reflexes are also seen in tiredness, confusion, brain fog, poor coordination, learning difficulties, and left/right brain communication problems.
But the longer they remain, these initial challenges can eventually affect your entire health, which is why these are more important than just back pain issues.
The reason why these reflexes become rundown is also numerous. Poor fitting shoes can start the process, injuries which throw your body out of balance and hence your feet hitting the ground changes, are just some. But they can occur as you stand on hard unforgiving surfaces for extended periods of time, women’s high heels are a common cause, as are poor fitting sports shoes.
Balancing these reflexes is therefore important, for many reasons. And for some people you may need to rub these at home. I personally still stimulate them before I play hockey to help make sure I’m coordinated, balanced and less likely to become injured.
Doing this along with the tennis ball trick on your feet can help you perform better, will give you a good energy boost, and help worth more than just back pain. So next time your are in the clinic make sure you ask more about these gait reflexes so I can show you how to correct these at home.
