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Are Your Feet Making Your Back Hurt
You may have never considered it but your feet may be a primary cause of your chronic lower back, neck and even shoulder pain
ARE YOUR FEET MAKING YOUR BACK HURT?By Dr. Daniel J. Bourassa
You may have never considered it but your feet may be a primary cause of your chronic lower back, neck and even shoulder pain. Extensive studies have demonstrated that faulty foot biomechanics directly contribute to chronic pain in these areas as well as in the ankles, knees and hips.
Your feet are the foundation of your posture. They may or may not hurt yet still place considerable stress on your spine and other weight bearing joints. This stress occurs anytime you stand or walk. The result is over stressed muscles, ligaments and joints that increase your chance of injury and degenerative arthritis.
Studies also indicate that abnormal foot biomechanics and resulting postural stresses often start in childhood. By age 40, almost all of us need to be wearing some form of custom foot orthotic. Shoes are often cited as a contributing cause but genetics also plays a part.
If you have foot pain it is a good bet that you already have some pain at higher levels. Chances are that your children also have abnormal foot biomechanics and will develop associated problems in adulthood. Professional and Olympic athletes know that proper foot biomechanics have a direct effect on performance. Reduced injury and improved balance and coordination are often reported.
Young athletes don’t often tell us that their feet are a problem so it is important for parents to ask. Their feet should be evaluated if parents want to reduce risk of injury to young ankles, knees and back as well as to help kids to get the most out their sports experience. Young athletes I have fitted with custom orthotic inserts report reduced stresses on their back and knees as well as improved speed and coordination.
Take this test to see if custom foot orthotic inserts can help you or someone in your family:
1. Do you stand or walk on hard surfaces for more than 4 hours per day?
2. Do you participate regularly in any physical sport (basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, golf, bowling, etc.)?
3. Are you age 40 or over?
4. Have you a prior injury to your ankle, knee, back or neck?
5. Do your shoes wear unevenly?
6. Do you have joint pain while standing, walking or running?
7. Is one of your legs shorter than the other?
8. Do you have knock-knees or bow legs?
9. Do you have obvious foot problems (bunions, corns, flat feet, etc.)?
10. Do your feet “toe out” when you’re walking?
If you checked “yes” to any of the above, custom orthotics can help you. You can also perform a quick 5-point check to spot the “red flags” of hidden foot problems.
1. Look for foot ‘flare’ during walking.
2. Look for kneecaps internally rotated while standing in front of mirror.
3. Have another look at your ankles from behind; check to see if your Achilles tendons are bowed.
4. Have another place a finger under your arches to check for low medial arches on one or both feet.
5. Examine you’re the heels of your shoes, are they worn excessively or unevenly.
These are all signs of abnormal foot biomechanics. I have found that my patients require considerably less care and maintenance if they wear custom orthotic inserts daily. Frequently chronic back and neck problems disappear once they are properly fitted with pelvic/spinal stabilizers (orthotic inserts).
It is important that your orthotic inserts are properly designed and adjusted to act as pelvic/spinal stabilizers. If not, abnormal stresses will not be relieved on joints above the feet.
Remember, these custom orthotic inserts are not clunky orthotic shoes. Rather they are specially fitted inserts that are designed to be worn in everyday shoes. Women who like to wear sandals in the summer have a choice of attractive sandalthotics. The important thing is to relieve the stress on feet, joints and the spine.
Lastly, it is important that the feet are cast in a weight bearing position and that hip and shoulder heights compared bilaterally to achieve a proper fitting. Studies have shown that the weight bearing casting method is the most reliable, accurate, and effective process for creating custom-made foot orthotics.
Rigid orthotics, often-hard plastic or metal made in a neutral non-weight-bearing cast, reduce normal foot joint motion and necessary neurological inputs. They have been demonstrated to place the feet in a position of supination with a risk of over-correction, altered forces, and development of bone deformation.
I have tried several types both personally and in my practice. I wear them daily. Preformed and rigid, non-weight bearing orthotics are very much inferior to the flexible pelvic stabilizing orthotics in my experience. Therefore, your pelvic/spinal stabilizing orthotic should be the type that is flexible, cast in a weight-bearing position, and custom designed to correct your individual biomechanical imbalances to achieve optimum results. You will love the results. |
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