Our feet are often thought of as a pair of awkward, smelly, embarrassing attachments to our legs that only hold us upright. But they’re amazing. They act as our internal radio and transmit information to our brains every step we take, believe it or not, there are over 200,000 nerve endings in each foot!
It is possible because our feet contain a large network of touch receptors and nerve endings that make them sensitive to different stimuli like pressure, temperature, vibrations, or pain. After the receptors have been activated, a series of nerve impulses are sent to your brain.
Standing and walking, your sole foot is the only part in contact with the ground.
Although standing may seem simple, our nerves relay so many impulses to maintain our balance. It’s this constant feedback system that links our soles to our brains and then sends signals back to the muscles.
The sensory information from your feet does not protect you from injury. However, the messages your brain receives through nerve impulses will send messages to your muscles to adjust your gait to protect your bones and joints.
This amazing nerve network transmits this information continuously and takes milliseconds to reach your brain. Your brain then responds by making adjustments to your legs, back, and arms.
We all know that there are five basic senses –sight and hearing, smell, taste, and touch. These allow us to perceive the world around us. Our ability to sense the location of our bodies in space is crucial to allow us to move normally and to know where we are.
You can touch your nose even with your eyes closed. The brain receives information from the sense organs of our muscles and joints that tell it when and where our limbs are moving. It also knows how tight our muscles should be.
The sixth sense, or “proprioception”, includes the senses of movement and position of our limbs as well as the senses for muscle force and effort, and balance. This incredible feedback from the nerves allows us to do our daily activities without even thinking about it.
Our feet are often seen as simple levers that allow us to walk. However, our feet are flexible and subtle tools that allow us to do extraordinary things when they are encased in our shoes.