Leading Provider of Custom Orthotics

Tag: chiropractor

How Chiropractors Can Fix Plantar Fasciitis

Chiropractor helping plantar fasciitis

With nearly 2 million American’s dealing with plantar fasciitis, it’s a very common problem that requires attention. Sadly, though, many people ignore their symptoms and discomfort until it becomes debilitating or until they have more time to get treatment. But, treating and alleviating plantar fasciitis can be as simple as seeing a Chiropractor and you can even take steps (no pun intended) to help prevent it from returning.

The feet are the foundation of the body. Problems with your feet are akin to having a sinking or cracking foundation in your home. It’s a chain reaction that influences how the rest of the body operates, but discomfort can also cloud your mind and negatively impact your mood and productivity, too. So how can you tell whether you have plantar fasciitis? read more

The Story of Our Founder (Plus a Birthday Shout-Out!)

Today is Foot Levelers’ CEO’s birthday–Happy Birthday Kent!–which got us reminiscing about Foot Levelers’ humble beginning, all the way back in 1952. The company, after all, was started by Kent’s father, the renowned Chiropractor Dr. Monte H. Greenawalt, who at that time was not all that well-known–he was fresh out of Chiropractic college, just starting his practice from the basement of a bank in Dubuque, Iowa.

Foot Levelers is literally in Kent’s blood, so sharing the company, and family, story seemed a fitting way to honor him today. It’s a pretty remarkable story, and we hope you enjoy it.

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It was 1942, and World War II was raging. A young man from Iowa, Monte H. Greenawalt, wanted to help, so he signed up for the Army.

But Monte’s preparations didn’t go as planned. As part of his pre-service requirements, he required vaccinations. Tragedy struck. A tainted batch killed many young men, and Monte was left paralyzed, forced to lie in an iron lung for six months.

Doctor after doctor told his devastated family that Monte would live the rest of his life as a paraplegic. His mother wouldn’t hear it. She eventually sought out a local Chiropractor, who was able to restore her son’s mobility.

monte_kentOur founder, Dr. Monte H. Greenawalt, with his son Kent, who’s our Chairman and CEO today (he’s bigger now)

“They carried him in and he walked out,” Monte’s mother would later recall.

Monte’s path was now clear. Though he had planned to study medicine after his enlistment, his personal experience with the power of Chiropractic changed all that. In 1948, a newly minted Dr. Monte graduated from Lincoln Chiropractic College.

FirstSPS

An early version of our custom-made orthotics

As a young Doctor practicing in Dubuque, Dr. Monte began to notice a pattern: patients with foot problems, especially, were returning to him with the same back, joint, knee and hip problems they started with—his Chiropractic adjustments just weren’t holding. Dr. Monte referred these patients to a podiatrist, but their problems persisted. In fact, many got worse. If a foot device could make his patients’ problems worse, he wondered, could it also potentially make these problems better?

Dr. Monte began to experiment with orthotics, and through trial and error, developed a formula based on 16 unique measurements of the foot. His patients began to feel better, results improved; his adjustments held longer. The referrals started flowing in, and eventually Dr. Monte’s little garage workshop couldn’t handle the demand. Foot Levelers moved to an old dairy; years later, the company relocated across the country to Roanoke, Virginia–making it easier to reach patients with its products quicker–and that’s where it remains, with Monte’s son (our birthday boy) at the helm. Sadly, Dr. Monte passed away in 2007.

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Kent S. Greenawalt, just a few years later 😉

Today Foot Levelers is the #1 provider of custom-made orthotics for Chiropractors all over the world. We’ve helped millions of patients overcome pain and improve performance. Kent has overseen incredible growth and innovation for the family company as President and later Chairman and CEO– like his dad, he’s a tireless advocate of Chiropractic, a multi-patent-holding inventor, and a committed philanthropist.

If you have pain, we want to help you–it’s what Foot Levelers has been about from day one. You can find a Chiropractor who offers our products here, and read more about how orthotics can help your symptoms here, here and here.

 

Chiro is Growing! Have YOU Visited a DC Lately?

Chiropractor

Check out this news from the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP): a recent Gallup Poll states an estimated 33.6 million U.S. adults (14 percent) saw a Chiropractor within the last 12 months – that’s big jump from the roughly 20.6 million reported in a previous study.

Why the growth? Experts at the F4CP say the Americans are becoming more confident in the profession. (Hat tip to the foundation folks–they work tirelessly to get the word out about the benefits of Chiropractic. We’re proud that it was founded by our CEO and Chairman, and includes Chiropractic leaders from all over the country.  You can learn more about the foundation here).

chiropractic symbolThe research also showed that 51 percent of U.S. adults had seen a Chiropractor during their lifetime–but that unfortunately, misconceptions remain.  The majority of people don’t know that Doctors of Chiropractic must complete a minimum of seven years of college education, for example, which includes clinical patient management. Or that aspiring DCs must also pass rigorous national and state boards.

In reflecting on the study, executive VP for F4CP Dr. Sherry McAllister said: “We are addressing the information gap that may be preventing individuals from seeking Chiropractic care, and reaffirming the message that care provided by a DC is not only safe and affordable, but also covered by most insurance plans. Americans can trust their Chiropractors to successfully address their health concerns without the use of drugs.”

Have you visited your DC lately? From high blood pressure to sports performance to headaches and back pain, Chiropractic can help. Don’t have a Chiropractor yet? Find one near you here.

Avoid Dangerous, Costly Surgery for Knee Pain–Go for Conservative Care First

Got knee pain?

Some people suffer knee pain so acutely, they’re ready to jump on the surgical table for a total knee replacement.  While this option can work, conservative care may be just as effective at relief–plus less costly, less dangerous, and requiring little to no “down time.”

knee injury

That’s what a recent study covered in Reuters Health

found: that “while 85 percent of patients who underwent surgery showed clinically-significant improvement after one year, so did 67 percent assigned to a combination of supervised exercise, use of insoles, pain medication, education and dietary advice. read more

What’s a Subluxation? Plus: How to Make Your Adjustments Last Longer and Stronger

You know how great you feel as you leave your Chiropractor’s office?

feelin good

(These guys clearly just left the Chiropractor’s)

You’re energetic, but not edgy. Calm, clear-headed and alert. If you came in with pain, it’s likely that it feels lessened; perhaps, it’s even disappeared (hallelujah!).

It’s as if every cell of your body just seems to be humming in unison, and that all is right with the world!

There’s a reason for that! In Chiropractic-speak, your Doctor’s adjustment has helped to eliminate subluxations in your spine. The term subluxation describes what happens when spinal joints are shifted out of ideal alignment thanks to stress, trauma, or chemical imbalances.

Because the nervous system (spine/nerves/brain) is “command central” of the body, eliminating subluxations helps the body do its thing better: adjustments reduce pressure on the nerves, easing the flow of communication and signals between them. Also, adjustments trigger the release of endorphins, which cause a near instant relief of pain. read more

A Beautiful Spine

“Stand up straight!” — the familiar battle cry of moms and teachers everywhere.

It’s time to listen up — because poor posture doesn’t just look frumpy, it takes a serious toll on health.  Here are just a few of the results:

  • Muscle soreness
  • Subluxations
  • Blood vessel constriction
  • Nerve constriction

…As the years pile up, so do the problems, resulting in pain, restricted motion, and making the body more and more susceptible to injury and disease. (Read more about the posture-health connection here).

After all, your spine does more than keep your body upright: it’s the way that Command Central (the brain) “talks” to everything else. 

Healthy spine = healthy body, healthy mind.

healthy spine posture

That’s right: posture can even affect your emotional well-being, including self-confidence! For a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, participants were asked to complete a mock job application while holding one of two positions: with shoulders slumped or sitting up straight. They also rated their own job-related strengths, how likely they were to land a position, and how well they’d perform, among other things.

Posture had a dramatic affect on responses: sitting up straight, the interviewees rated themselves far better.   read more

My Chiropractor Wants to See My Feet. …(Wait — What?)

You’ve finally made an appointment to see your Chiropractor. Perhaps it’s low back pain that brings you in, or bouts of throbbing headaches and you’re tired of popping pills. Or maybe you’re a runner who’s training for a big event and you’re hoping your Doctor can help you stay in tip-top shape to avoid injury. All of these are great reasons to see a Chiropractor, and some of the most common.

Appointment day arrives and the Doctor begins her exam. Suddenly, she’s asking to see the bottoms of your shoes (wait—what?) and then tells you to remove your shoes and socks completely. She leads a now-barefooted you over to what she calls a “3D digital foot scanner.” You’re instructed to “step right up.”3D foot scan read more

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