Get Up, Stand Up Expert advice for healthy feet and better posture

Is the foot bone connected to the well-being of everything else? And what about your posture? Vivian Vassos asks an expert

MY OWN horrendous feet inspired a special interest in fixing women’s feet,” Dr. Liza Egbogah confides, as she inspects my left foot post-bunion surgery. “But it’s always advisable to try at least six months of manual osteopathy or other forms of conservative care before considering surgery,” she adds. I hadn’t and, although I have no regrets, I’m now slowly starting to melt in the doctor’s hands as she manipulates my foot. It can also help keep the patient drug-free, she adds. “As you get older, your risks of adverse effects to medication and surgery go up,” Egbogah says. “Given the high risks associated with pain medications and surgery, it’s important to

address the root cause of what’s causing the pain.”

The Calgary-raised Toronto-based Egbogah, known by her patients and in celebrity circles as Dr. Liza, has both a doctorate of chiropractic and diploma in manual osteopathic practice. A graduate of the University of Alberta with a pharmacology degree, she is also an expert in myofascial release and manual osteopathy. “The ‘myo’ in myofascial release refers to muscle, while ‘fascial’ refers to fascia, which is the connective tissue that connects everything in your body,” she explains. “With myofascial release, you can elicit structural change to the body to improve alignment and function. When the body is aligned, you move better, feel better and have more energy. It also helps to treat injuries and prevent future injuries.” So the treatment goes beyond just the feet.

Also a member of Harvard University’s postgraduate association, Dr. Liza consults with corporations on body, posture, pain management and stress reduction. She’s a regular on TV and has been seen treating stars prior to them hitting the red carpet in Toronto for TIFF and in Hollywood pre-Oscars. No wonder then, that political leaders, pro athletes and actors such as Jamie Foxx, Sally Hawkins and Gerard Butler have all allowed her to lay her healing hands on them. But it was making the move to the heart of Toronto’s financial district that really prompted Dr. Liza to take the next, well, step, which she calls the stiletto fix. “I have been in practice in Toronto for more than a decade and I have seen thousands of women who have suffered from high heel-related pain and/or disfigurement and needed a fix for them to address many of the issues that arose from wearing stilettos,” she says. “The stiletto fix involves mostly myofascial release of the feet and calves to treat common problems like plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, bunions, neuromas, arthritis, hammertoes and achy feet that can arise from wearing stilettos.”

The next step in her evolution is shoe designer. “It only takes an hour in the wrong shoes to cause potentially damaging effects,” she says – and, yes, she’s wearing a pair of high heels of her own design while treating my foot. After a decade of prescribing custom orthotics but not being able to recommend a highheel shoe that “was healthy not just for your feet but the alignment of your entire body,” the idea took hold – an idea that the likes of Edie Falco and Kate Winslet appreciate, as they’re fans of her mod-meets-’70s platform almond-toed designs ( drlizashoes.com) reminiscent of the chunkier look we’re seeing on fashion runways. “The key to the

Dr. Liza pump is the right support and correction for problems related to gait and fit that usually lead to foot problems,” she adds. She remedied this with a combination of an orthotic insole and proprietary rocker sole design. “When patients have severe foot pain or stress fractures, we usually put them in a rocker boot to minimize pressure points on the foot,” she says. This same mechanism was put into her high-heel pump. And there was a nod to our aging feet, as well. “We lose the padding in our feet as we age, so I incorporate EVA [the same stuff that offers shock absorption in running shoes] into the platform sole and injected cushioning throughout.”

Men, on the other hand, she says, have many options already available in the footwear market, shoes made based on design and functionality, which can easily accommodate an orthotic insole, so she has no plans to design a men’s shoe. But treat men she does, citing, “Men tend to have more foot issues related to overall gait problems and overuse rather than damage caused solely by poor footwear. Many men also over-pronate [rolling in with walking], which can cause foot pain and bunions. They also face slightly more sports injuries related to their feet due to having higher body weight and not taking proper care of their feet.”

For me, Dr. Liza uses manual osteopathy: “a hands-on technique that helps manipulate muscles, fascia, joints and viscera to create balance and alignment in the body,” she explains. “Primarily, a manual osteopath will address musculoskeletal problems like foot pain, back problems, headaches and number of other conditions that affect the muscles, joints and nerves in the body.” Manual osteopathy, she adds, is also great for improving posture, overall well-being and reducing stress.

“Our posture is so important because it not only affects the way we look but the way we feel and function,” she says when I mention my bad posture habit, and then gives me this advice: “The first step when it comes to good posture is to move more. Holding a static position for a long period of time like you would with computer use will lead to poor posture. If you can take phone calls standing or get up to stretch every hour, this will help,” she notes. “Next, you need to remember to breathe. Many of us aren’t breathing properly or enough and, without this necessary decompression, we are forced into a slouched and compressed posture. I recommend that everyone take a few minutes every day to take 10 deep mindful breaths.” Proper posture, she believes, can give the appearance of being taller and slimmer with a lifted face and a flatter tummy.

Dr. Liza also mentions that she sends her patients home with exercises they can easily incorporate in their daily lives to improve their posture. And she did with me, as demonstrated here by the good doctor herself. Straight up.