It’s one thing to throw your back out after a strenuous workout, but it’s quite another to be hampered by back discomfort after a simple walk.

 

The act of walking causes back spasms and discomfort in millions of people, resulting in exhaustion and dissatisfaction.

 

Custom orthotics, on the other hand, can assist ease discomfort if the foot is the source of backaches. This article will look at how walking can cause backaches in some people and how orthotics can help them feel better.

 

Foot and Low Back Pain: What’s the Connection?

You probably don’t give much mind to the relationship between your feet and your back unless you’re an athlete or a kinesiologist.

 

From head to toe, your muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments are closely interwoven. What occurs at one end of the chain has an impact on the other.

 

The “shocks” of your body are your feet. Every step you take is absorbed by them. When you walk, you exert the equivalent of five times your body weight in force on each foot. That’s a significant amount of weight!

 

Your feet, by nature, can absorb the force without causing injury. However, most of us develop bad habits and misalignments that impede our feet from properly absorbing and transferring power.

 

Overpronation and oversupination are two prominent examples of these “misfirings.”

 

The excessive inward motion of the foot is referred to as overpronation. A certain amount of pronation is normal (and necessary) since it allows for more impact absorption. Overpronation, on the other hand, causes the natural arches of the feet to collapse, resulting in flat feet.

 

The leg moves in lockstep with the foot and compensates by spinning internally as well. Keep in mind that the human body is a chain, and the alterations don’t stop here. In order to accommodate the foot’s changing position, the knees and hips turn.

 

A rotated pelvis imposes tension on the spine and makes it less robust to impact forces, resulting in several muscle imbalances. When this happens on a regular basis, joints become more prone to wear and tear, and nerve impingement occurs, resulting in back discomfort.

 

The other side of the coin is procrastination. It refers to a foot that rolls outwards excessively, resulting in excessively high arches. Oversupination and overpronation both follow a similar pattern.

 

When the foot rolls abnormally outward, the lower leg follows suit. The knees and hips rotate in lockstep with the lower and upper leg, putting excessive tension on the spine and surrounding tissue. This, in turn, causes wear-and-tear, resulting in painful walking.

 

Foot Misalignments: What Causes Them?

Overpronation and oversupination are caused by anatomical or biomechanical factors in the majority of cases. They are as follows:

 

Genetics

Footwear that isn’t well-chosen

Flat feet that have been present for a long time (flat feet can precede over-pronation and make it worse)

Pre-existing damage to the foot

Repeated stress (i.e. from being a runner or an athlete)

Pregnancy

Obesity or being overweight

Disparities in leg length

Ankle strength and stability

breadth of a foot

Overpronation and oversupination have a variety of causes, and one’s instance may have multiple causes.

 

If you get pain when walking, you should contact a podiatrist or chiropodist. To figure out what’s causing your pain, you’ll probably require a gait and posture study, as well as a physical assessment of your foot mechanics.

 

How Orthotics Can Assist in Back Pain Relief

Now that you understand the link between your foot and your back, you might have an idea of how orthotics can reduce unpleasant walking.

 

Orthotics, in a nutshell, correct the position of your foot. Whatever threw your foot off balance is likely to have inbuilt postural and mechanical tendencies that will not heal on their own.

 

This is where orthotics can help.

 

A professional will propose insoles tailored to accommodate the particular structure and form of your footprint after determining the misalignment of your foot. This will aid in the restoration and support of your arches, as well as the management of your foot movement.

 

Orthotics assist unwind the twisting and spinning of tissues that contribute to low back discomfort, in addition to exercises and retraining your postural/gait patterns.

 

We make bespoke orthotics for people with various foot misalignments, ailments, and injuries at IDEASTEP Orthotics to help them improve their posture and relieve discomfort.

 

Tips for Managing Back Pain on a Daily Basis

Aside from orthotics, it’s a good idea to develop some new habits to assist you manage lower back pain.

 

Maintaining a healthy low back and avoiding discomfort is closely linked to your lifestyle choices. With that in mind, here are some “hacks” to help you avoid and treat low back discomfort in the future.

 

Suggestions for Managing Lower Back Pain

Regularly stretch your low back muscles.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle by staying active and exercising on a daily basis (but not at the expense of good exercise form).

Sleep on a good mattress in a comfortable position.

Maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI).

If your back spasms or becomes painful, apply ice or heat.

Consider getting a massage.

Shop Orthotics Today to Relieve Low Back Pain from the Ground Up!

When every step causes you to twinge in agony, it’s a terrible bummer. It doesn’t feel natural, and it isn’t only a sign of age, as many people believe. Although wear and tear can cause lower back pain, when the foot is involved, there is most likely a functional issue that has to be addressed.

 

If your back pain is caused by an issue with your feet, the correct orthotic treatments and lifestyle adjustments can help you minimize it.

 

With a little time and patience, you’ll have a new spring in your step – one that is completely painless!