How Shoes Affect Back Pain

How do your shoes lead to back pain?

  1. Stiffens muscles
  2. Increases the amount of shock your feet have to absorb
  3. Alters the way your feet and ankles bend
  4. Puts unnecessary weight on your ankles
  5. Center balance of your body becomes unnatural
  6. Encourages poor posture
  If you’ve been experiencing back pain and can’t seem to find the cause, try looking down at your feet. What type of shoes are you wearing? Your shoes may be the culprit as they can have an enormous effect on your spine. Read on to find out how shoes affect back pain.  

Stiffens Muscles

When you walk around from time to time or cook all day for your holiday feasts, your feet are experiencing an extra amount of work than when you do your usual activities. It may not seem obvious, but the feet and your back are closely related. If for some reason your shoes don’t fit perfectly or your heel height is too high, your muscles will work double time. The lumbar muscles can become stiff and lead to poor posture. In turn, poor posture exacerbates back pain. Wrong footwear can also lead to all kinds of unwanted conditions such as spinal disc compression, neck pain, and worsened joint swelling.  

Increases The Amount of Shock Your Feet Have To Absorb

A man running on a track Walking can also put double the weight on each of your legs. As your feet come into contact with solid ground, resistance is encountered. Your body absorbs the shock produced from this. The feet require ample support in order to absorb and distribute bodyweight properly. This is why it’s important to wear the right shoes. By doing so, you’re saving yourself from the possibility of back pain.  

Alters the Way Your Feet and Ankles Bend

The wrong shoes can alter the way your feet and ankles bend. How is this? When you wear the wrong footwear, you are causing your body to struggle. You are disrupting the arches of your feet and forcing them into an unnatural angle. The feet’s arch is responsible for distributing body weight evenly toward solid ground. When you wear the wrong shoes, you are forcing your muscles to do more in order to maintain a proper body posture. Therefore, your spine is also being forced to move abnormally. Further stressing your back muscles and leading to back pain.  

Puts Unnecessary Weight On Your Ankles

A woman running outside When you wear the wrong shoes it impacts your ankle joints. Instead of putting the weight on your heels, unnecessary weight is being placed on your ankles. In the long term, it leads to differentiated walking and back pain.  

Center Balance of Your Body Becomes Unnatural

If your shoes have no support, you’ll be able to observe that the soles of your feet start to hurt. Your ankles, the rest of your legs, and ultimately, your back will follow too. Shoes such as high heels are more likely to affect your back. When you wear high heels, there is an increased amount of weight placed on your toes. The center balance of your body becomes unnatural. You’ll end up walking at a different pace and even taking unusually bigger strides. After a long day of wearing the wrong shoes, you may experience backaches. This is because your lower muscles are trying to keep you balanced even though they are tensed up.  

Encourages Poor Posture

A woman with back pain due to bad posture Wearing the wrong shoes puts your body in a position similar to walking on a ramp. Once your lower muscles remain in a flexed position, your lower body experiences fatigue. This can lead to poor posture by:
  • Thrusting your chest forward
  • Pushing your lower back forward
  • Misaligning your spine and hips
  • Placing excessive weight on your knees
  • Shifting your weight to the wrong place
 

How Do You Avoid Back Pain?

In order to avoid back pain, it is recommended by experts to buy the right type of shoes. Ensure that your footwear fits you perfectly and avoid wearing high heels. It would be better to purchase shoes that have the proper arch support for your type of foot. Do you feel the need to get your back checked because the pain is getting worse? Get examined by a chiropractor. Chiropractor Philippines is the premier back pain treatment provider in the country. If you seek our services, you will be able to know why you are experiencing back pain and you will also be able to know what to do in order to treat it.  

Key Takeaway

It is important to remember that your choice of shoe can lead to back pain. In the long run, the wrong type of footwear can ultimately damage your overall health condition. The article above will be helpful in knowing how your shoes affect back pain. But it would be wiser to get assessed by professionals. Contact Chiropractor Philippines today. With years of education and experience, you can rest assured that we will aid in easing not only your back pain but also your shoulder pain, and more! Check out our packages here.

Written By: Dr. Benedicto Luz Adorable III

Dr. Ben is the CEO and Founder of Philippine Chiropractic Healthcare Specialist. He has a Doctorate Degree of Chiropractic from Parker College of Chiropractic.

To read more about Dr. Ben, click here.

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