How Scoliosis Affects Your Feet and Ankles (Yes—Really!)

When we think about scoliosis, we usually picture a curved spine. But did you know those spinal curves can actually affect your feet and ankles too? That’s right—your scoliosis might be showing up below the waist in ways you’ve never considered.

Here’s how it works: Your spine is your body’s central axis. When it curves abnormally, everything below it starts to compensate. This often includes a pelvic tilt or rotation, which shifts your weight unevenly. Over time, this can cause one leg to bear more weight, changing how your foot strikes the ground when you walk.

 

The result?
• Flat feet on one side
• Excess pronation or supination (the
foot rolling in or out)
• Chronic ankle instability
• Achilles tightness
• Or even plantar fasciitis
If you’ve ever felt like one foot “works
harder” than the other, or one ankle
tends to roll more easily, scoliosis
could be the hidden cause.

 

Many people with scoliosis develop subtle compensations like walking on the outside of one foot, favoring one side, or turning one foot out. These postural shifts create wear and tear on your joints and can lead to foot and ankle pain that’s often misdiagnosed.

The good news? When we begin to address the spine’s alignment, we can also restore better balance and loading through the feet.

Scoliosis-specific exercises, like the Schroth Method, help realign the spine and pelvis, which directly impacts how your legs and feet function. In fact, many of my clients notice less foot pain and improved ankle stability once we begin working on their curves.

If your scoliosis journey has included nagging foot or ankle problems, don’t write them off as unrelated. They’re part of the bigger picture.

Your spine is connected to everything—and everything is connected back to it.

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