(^34) – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 everythingzoomer.com
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Y OWN hor-
rendous feet
inspired a spe-
cial 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 be-
fore considering surgery,” she adds.
I hadn’t and, although I have no re-
grets, I’m now slowly starting to melt
in the doctor’s hands as she manipu-
lates 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 medica-
tions and surgery, it’s important to
address the root cause of what’s caus-
ing the pain.”
The Calgary-raised Toronto-based
Egbogah, known by her patients
and in celebrity circles as Dr. Liza,
has both a doctorate of chiroprac-
tic and diploma in manual osteo-
pathic practice. A graduate of the
University of Alberta with a pharma-
cology degree, she is also an expert in
myofascial release and manual oste-
opathy. “The ‘myo’ in myofascial re-
lease refers to muscle, while ‘fascial’
refers to fascia, which is the con-
nective tissue that connects every-
thing 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 associa-
tion, Dr. Liza consults with corpor-
ations on body, posture, pain man-
agement 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 lead-
ers, 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 real-
ly prompted Dr. Liza to take the next,
well, step, which she calls the stil-
etto 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 need-
ed 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 com-
mon problems like plantar fasci-
itis, metatarsalgia, bunions, neur-
omas, arthritis, hammertoes and
achy feet that can arise from wear-
ing 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 high-
heel 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
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Is the foot bone connected to the
well-being of everything else? And what
about your posture? Vivian Vassos
asks an expert