Foot Levelers

Leading Provider of Custom Orthotics

Dr. Kevin Wong

Dr. Kevin M. Wong, DC is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, and a 1996 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic West. He has been in practice for over 25 years and is the owner of Orinda Chiropractic & Laser Center in Orinda, CA.

As a member of Foot Levelers Speakers Bureau since 2004, Dr. Wong travels the country speaking on extremity and spinal adjusting. See upcoming events with Dr. Wong and other Foot Levelers speakers at footlevelers.com/seminars. Check out his monthly blogs with proven practice tips to help you achieve optimal patient outcomes.

Low back pain in females

Uncovering and Treating the Causes of Female Low Back Pain

2:03 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong
Low back pain in females

Low back pain is among the most common conditions for which patients seek medical care1. Low back pain is defined as pain, muscle tension, or stiffness localized below the costal margin and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without leg pain. Low back pain can begin in childhood and continue to plague the patient throughout their life. It is a disorder with many possible causes and many explanations, occurring in many groups of populations.

Research indicates that more than 80% of people experience low back pain during their lifetime with its prevalence being slightly more common in females than males across all age groups. Women have increased lower back pain during their menstrual cycle or at the time of ovulation. The resultant inflammation and uterine cramping can increase the intra-abdominal pressure and flare up a preexisting lower back condition. read more

Get Young Patients Ready for Back-to-School

10:22 am / Dr. Kevin Wong

Back-to-school time is a great opportunity to use your chiropractic expertise and healing care to help young patients prepare for the wide range of sports activities and physical demands that the new school year will bring.

Sports Physicals

In many school districts, chiropractors can perform sports physicals to allow children and teens to play specific sports.* Spread the word in your community that you are available for this service. It’s an effective way to expand the care you offer to all members of the family. read more

Help Stop Summer Sports From Leading to Patient Pain

Help Stop Summer Sports From Leading to Patient Pain

1:39 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

Reducing the stress and strain through chiropractic care

In warmer weather, many patients use the longer, sunnier days to spend more time outdoors playing sports and being more active. This can add up to increased strain on their bodies. As chiropractors, we can partner with our patients to help take the stress out of the summer activities they love. This supports adjustments that hold better and enhances the success of ongoing chiropractic care while helping boost athletic performance and lowering injury risk. read more

The Kinetic Chain and the Foot-Spine Connection

4:29 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong / 0 Comments

Help your patients understand body connectivity for better health

In my daily practice, I am astonished to observe how little knowledge patients have of their own bodies. They don’t realize how the function of individual parts such as the feet affect their bodies as a whole. Most patients grow up receiving treatment in a traditional medical care model so this is not familiar to them.

As chiropractors who treat the extremities, we can help our patients understand that the body parts are all connected, with the feet as their foundation. When the three arches of the plantar vault are not properly aligned, they can destabilize other parts of the body like the spine, leading to pain and decreased mobility. By identifying and treating the true cause of the pain rather than chasing pain symptoms, we can provide more effective care with greater patient satisfaction. This begins by educating our patients about the kinetic chain and the foot-spine connection and stabilizing all three arches of their feet with custom flexible orthotics for optimal kinetic chain function and better overall health. read more

Standing Posture and Pain – What’s the Link?

4:31 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

May is “National Correct Posture Month” and its purpose is to shed light on the importance of the posture of the human body. Another goal is to increase awareness regarding the strategies people can follow to improve their posture. Bad posture will have a great impact on quality of life. It can also lead to certain painful health conditions such as persistent upper and lower extremity and back pain.

The Dangers of Sitting Posture:

Sitting has been called “the new smoking” when it comes to the wide-ranging health problems it can trigger. In fact, one in four American adults sits for more than eight hours a day, according to federal research from investigators at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1 Some figures indicate that the average American sits 7.7 hours per day. Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. They include obesity, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and elevated LDL and reduced HDL cholesterol levels. read more

Standing – It’s Not as Simple as it Seems

12:22 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

Standing is not as simple as it seems
Dictionary.com defines standing as when a person is in an upright position on the feet. Notice that in this definition, the feet are directly referenced as the structures the body is standing on top of. We have come to understand that the 26 bones, 29 muscles (10 foot/ankle, 19 intrinsic) and 3 arches of each foot form the foundation of our body and are integral to its overall proper function.

As Chiropractors, we spend multiple hours of the day standing on our feet. Our patients are no different. Many of them have daily activities requiring short to long standing periods. Cooking and housework are just a couple of the tasks that incorporate standing for varying lengths of time. read more

The Foot Levelers Kiosk’s NEW Option

12:08 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

How to Utilize it for Optimal Practice Success

The Foot Levelers Generation 3 Kiosk was released in October 2020. Although there have been various software updates to bring it to its current operational state, the guiding principle has been the same. This three-dimensional, digital, laser scanning device gives the healthcare provider incredibly accurate clinical data about their unique foot function through the Report of Findings (ROF). It’s also an outstanding educational tool for engaging patients and helping them understand the foot-spine connection. read more

Help Your Patients Start the New Year on the Right Foot

The Prevalence of Back Pain in Our Society

2:15 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

Previewing the breakthrough article “Impact of Back Pain in the Workplace” by Foot Levelers Chairman and CEO Kent S. Greenawalt – how chiropractors can partner with employers to provide more effective and affordable healthcare.

As chiropractors we have the opportunity to treat a myriad of health conditions. On a regular basis we serve patients who are complaining of neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, hip pain, knee pain and the list goes on. What is so interesting about the many ailments that we can help patients with is the relationship that all of the body parts have with each other. You have observed how the feet are the body’s foundation and dysfunction of the foot’s three arches can set the body up for a whole host of pain and problems at the time of patient presentation or down the road. read more

The Redesigned 5th Avenue Collection is Here!

3:14 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

As chiropractors who analyze and treat the feet on a daily basis, we get exposed to tons of people so it is very easy to observe the types and styles of shoes they are wearing.

We know that patients feel their best and get better results from their chiropractic care when their bodies are properly supported through custom stabilization. However, many popular women’s shoe styles don’t comfortably accommodate custom orthotics due to their tight-fitting, low-profile designs. For the purposes of this discussion, I want to hit on a topic that can be a sore spot, especially for female patients. This has to do with wearing “high heels”. read more

Help Your Patients Start the New Year on the Right Foot

Help Your Patients Start the New Year on the Right Foot!

1:36 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong
Help Your Patients Start the New Year on the Right Foot

We are getting to that time of year again. Some folks are preparing to make resolutions and goals for 2023. It’s a yearly tradition for many folks to conjure up various New Year’s Resolutions for health and other aspects of their lives. It sounds great initially coming up with inspiring things on a “To-Do List for My Life Beginning Next Year”. But the success rate of following through is not great.

According to a 2016 study, of the 41% of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions, by the end of the year, only 9% feel they are successful in keeping them. An earlier study in 2007 showed that only 12% of people who set resolutions are successful even though 52% of the participants were confident of success at the beginning1. The reasons cited for failing include the goals needing to be more realistic; forgetting about making the resolutions and having too many resolutions to follow. read more

I didn't know Chiropractic could help that

I Didn’t Know Chiropractic Could Treat That!

5:10 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

The longer we field chiropractors are in practice, the more we observe how patients do not understand the breadth of the areas of the body and health conditions that we can treat. Many folks have never grown up with chiropractic so they did not have the benefit of getting adjusted in their younger lives. Others in various stages of adult life who are struggling with pain wonder if they should finally give chiropractic a try.

Depending on the medical professionals they consult or they people they get advice from, potential patients don’t often understand how chiropractic actually works. This lack of knowledge will not give someone the confidence to schedule that first appointment. Often, it’s one of our patients who has experienced the help we are providing them who reaches out to a friend or relative to encourage them to give chiropractic a try. read more

3D Foot Scanner

Getting the most out of your Scanning Technology

11:28 am / Dr. Kevin Wong
3D Foot Scanner

Since introducing the world’s first Chiropractic foot scanner, the FAS Scan (or Foot Analysis ystem) in 2001, Foot Levelers has endeavored to push the technology forward.  The 3-D Kiosk we have come to know more recently was originally introduced in 2017. The current version of the scanner is the product of multiple versions where each one has been an improvement upon its predecessor. The Kiosk is truly state-of-the-art.

I made the switch from foam casting to scanning after the FAS Scan was introduced in 2001. I have had the opportunity to use each of the following iterations of the scanner as they have been released. As an early adopter of scanning technology through the 21 years of its existence, I have enjoyed watching it become an extremely powerful patient education tool. I have also been impressed to see how the ease of use and functionality has improved. read more

Leg Length Inequality

Leg Length Discrepancy: the Long and the Short of It

10:28 am / Dr. Kevin Wong

In daily clinical practice, we can utilize leg length checks on just about every patient presenting with lower extremity, spinal and upper extremity complaints. In our Foot Levelers community, we understand the role the feet play in many ailments that patients present with, and we know that foot function has a powerful influence on the entire body. The exposure that we have had with leg length discrepancy (LLD) beginning in chiropractic college and then expanding out into the seminars and classes we have taken during our years of practice offers solid support for how important LLD is in everyday patient care. read more

Everyone is Crooked

Addressing Functional Scoliosis Through Foot Stabilization

10:00 am / Dr. Kevin Wong

June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month. So, in the spirit of education, detection, and fostering more awareness of scoliosis, let’s understand how chiropractic plays such an important role in this condition. Recall that the classic “structural scoliosis” is a sideways, abnormal curvature of the spine that can range from being hardly noticeable to so severe it affects people’s posture and height. The appearance of scoliosis is generally in 3 forms:

  1. The spine could curve to the side as a single curve to the left (levoscoliosis)
  2. The spine could curve to the side as a single curve to the right (dextroscoliosis)
  3. The spine could involve two curves (shaped like the letter S).

Structural scoliosis causes can be from certain neuromuscular conditions, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, birth defects affecting the development of the bones of the spine; injuries to or infections of the spine; or spinal cord abnormalities. read more

The Foot Levelers Kiosk -Making Practice Easier While Improving the Bottom Line

5:19 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

As chiropractors, many of you have embraced the latest state-of-the-art technologies in your practice that may include EHR software, cold lasers, massage guns, adjusting instruments, etc. There seems to always be some new gadget or gimmick out there that tries to hit us emotionally to make us purchase it. It’s crucial to know if a new piece of technology will be helpful and boost the success of our practice.

When Foot Levelers introduced the world’s first chiropractic foot scanner back in 2001, I was excited to learn about it and adopt it. Personally, I always gravitate towards new technology because it leads us into the future and keeps us on the cutting edge of knowledge. That original FAS SCAN was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the digital scanning technology that would follow in the years to come. Foot Levelers introduced the 3D Kiosk in 2017 and they have continued to enhance it. read more

Home cooking with Mom and daughter

Your Home Does Not Protect You From Overpronating

3:30 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

The importance of custom stabilization inside and out

It is a privilege helping patients understand the role the feet play in overall body stability. On a daily basis, we have opportunities to explain to patients about the presence of the three arches of the foot, the existence of excessive foot pronation and the subsequent effects on the axial kinetic chain of the body. We see patients’ eyes light up when they finally understand that their feet (which often are not hurting them) are a root cause or contributory factor to so many aches and pains people seek treatment for. read more

Four Steps to Success in Teaching Patients the Foot-Spine Connection

10:45 am / Dr. Kevin Wong
Crooked Man body stresses

It’s a marvel how little patients understand about the bodies they inhabit. In the healthcare arena, pain and discomfort are big factors for going to the typical medical doctor. Most patients have been trained to seek this type of healthcare practitioner from their early days of going to the pediatrician and then to their adult GP. It comes as no surprise to us that patients become frustrated when they are told to take medication, give it 4-6 weeks of rest, or get referred for therapy and exercises that don’t work as well as the patient hopes. They feel like they are spinning their wheels. read more

3 Arch Support

All Orthotics are NOT Created Equal

2:10 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

Custom Orthotics vs. Generic Insoles

By Kevin Wong

One of the biggest challenges I have found over the last 25 years with being an extremity-based doctor is the general lack of public knowledge regarding the feet and how they affect the rest of the body. Starting from a very young age, we are not properly taught about our anatomy and how different body parts work with and affect each other. This comes into play when incorporating the use of orthotics into patient care.

When patients need medical care, the majority of them will begin with allopathic medicine. This is because they believe that pain is the indicator of when to seek treatment.  It’s common to only treat the pain of conditions like plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, and Achilles tendonitis, rather than identifying and correcting the foot/arch dysfunction and biomechanical problems that are their underlying cause. Interestingly enough, many patients with faulty foot biomechanics live their lives without having any foot pain at all. However, in my experience I have seen that upwards of 87% of all human beings in a standing posture exhibit signs of flat or pronating feet that that can lead to pain and disfunction in the knees, hips, pelvis, neck, and spine. Even common conditions like shin splints and sprained ankles can stem from unhealthy foot function. read more

3 Arch Support

All Orthotics are NOT Created Equal

4:00 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

Custom Orthotics vs. Generic Insoles

By Kevin M. Wong, DC

One of the biggest challenges I have found over the last 25 years with being an extremity-based Chiropractor is the general lack of public knowledge regarding the feet and how they affect the rest of the body. Starting from a very young age, we are not properly taught about our anatomy and how different body parts work with and affect each other. This comes into play when incorporating the use of orthotics into Chiropractic care.

When patients need medical care, the majority of them will begin with allopathic medicine. This is because they believe that pain is the indicator of when to seek treatment.  It’s common to only treat the pain of conditions like plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, and Achilles tendonitis, rather than identifying and correcting the foot/arch dysfunction and biomechanical problems that are their underlying cause. Interestingly enough, many patients with faulty foot biomechanics live their lives without having any foot pain at all. However, in my experience I have seen that upwards of 87% of all human beings in a standing posture exhibit signs of flat or pronating feet that that can lead to pain and disfunction in the knees, hips, pelvis, neck, and spine. Even common conditions like shin splints and sprained ankles can stem from unhealthy foot function. read more

‘Health Geek’ Report: Why the Feet Matter, with Dr. Kevin Wong

1:18 pm / Dr. Kevin Wong

thrive-chiropractic-health-geek-podcast

Listen to Dr. Kevin Wong on a recent episode of The Health Geek Podcast! With host Dr. Will Mosbey, Dr. Wong explains just how important the feet are to your postural alignment and indeed, to your overall health.

why-the-feet-matter

Dr. Wong is
an expert in everything feet and extremities, and we’re lucky enough to have him on our team as a part-time speaker and educator. In addition to his thriving San Francisco Bay area practice, Dr. Wong travels the world teaching Chiropractors and the public about the importance of the body’s foundation, and how to care for it.  Dr. Wong has 20+ years experience in practice, has presented to tens of thousands of doctors throughout the world, and is widely considered one of Chiropractic’s foremost experts in caring for the feet.
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