In a world where we are obligated to navigate the challenges that arise while living through a global pandemic, health and wellness is at the forefront of our priority lists. We are forced every
day to make decisions that affect our health and wellbeing, with an awareness of the
consequences like never before. But we haven’t always been this way. Unfortunately, according
to the CDC, 75% of the nation’s healthcare spending accounts for chronic diseases that can be
avoided through preventative care. It is no surprise that the US healthcare system is built on the
foundation of helping the already sick rather than preventing sickness to emerge. Think of it like
a tree-the approach instilled in our healthcare system tackles the stem of the entity rather than
the root. Wouldn’t it make more sense to put in more effort, money, and research on not getting
sick to start with?
Health as defined by the World Health Organization is a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. In contrast, wellness is
defined as an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and
fulfilling life. Wellness is about being proactive towards optimizing your health and preventing a
state of “Dis-Ease”. It is more than being free from illness, it is a “dynamic process of change
and growth”, according to the Global Wellness Day.
Alternative medical professions, such as chiropractic,
naturopathic and functional medicine, to name a few, prioritize total wellness and health within
their professions. They view the entire wellbeing on an individual through the paradigm of the
“Health Triad''. This pyramid-like model (see image below) represents the interconnectedness of chemical, structural, and emotional/spiritual health. The pyramid-like figure represents how when one side is positively or negatively affected, it invariably will have an effect on the other two sides. For example, when you experience a significant emotional stress or trauma, a cascade of chemical reactions will occur as a protection mechanism. In the reverse scenario, when a healthy diet and exercise is incorporated into someone’s life, they will likely feel better emotionally and physically.
The Health Triad is an outstanding paradigm that supports the argument for why custom foot
orthotics are so imperative for our health and wellness. Direct trauma, overuse, and even the
aging process of the bones, ligaments and muscles in the feet are a physical indicator for how
much pressure we enforce on our feet. The average human will walk the equivalent of over
120,000 miles in our lifetime, expending 1.5x the amount of pressure of our weight. It is almost
impossible to avoid some sort of pain or injury to our feet as a result of our physical anatomy
and lifestyle choices. When our structural health is compromised, our emotional/spiritual and
chemical health will trail not far behind.
The good news is, through education and access, Gothotics is working to help inform the public
on preventative steps towards wellness as well as provide custom foot orthotics at a reasonable
price. A step taken in a pair of Gothotics is a step taken towards better balance, fewer injuries,
heightened strength, speedier healing time, more flexibility, and increased performance. More
than this, every step taken in a pair of our custom foot orthotics is a step combating the negative
stressors we expose our bodies to from our lifestyle choices. Now knowing the connectedness
of each aspect of our health, wouldn’t you want to take initiative by preventing future sickness
and support the structural wellbeing of ourselves?