back and foot pain

shoes and back pain

Is Your Choice Of Shoes Contributing To Back and Foot Pain?

The foot is an extremely complicated structure, consisting of 26 bones, 33 joints, and many different muscles, tendons and soft tissues.1,2

The foot acts as a shock absorber when you walk and propels you forward. With proper footwear, walking is a healthy form of activity. But with the wrong shoe, the strain that walking places on the feet can cause real problems. The impact of each step you take applies a force on the foot that’s 50% greater than the force of  the body’s weight alone.3 What’s more, an average day of walking places a force equal to several hundred tons on the feet and being overweight can increase this further.5

In adults, foot pain is fairly common. For example, in the United States, about 75% of people have painful foot conditions – such as corns, bunions, hammertoe, tarsal tunnel syndrome, and flat feet -- at some time in their lives.3

Many of these problems – and in particular, toe problems – are caused, or made worse, by shoes that don’t fit properly. Shoes with narrow, pointed toes squash the bones and tendons of the foot into unnatural shapes, and over time, can cause some painful problems.1

Of course, it’s not just the feet that can suffer, back pain can also be caused or worsened by wearing improper shoes.6 That includes shoes that don’t provide enough support, don’t have enough cushioning to absorb shock, or don’t fit the natural shape of the foot.

Wearing shoes with heels can be especially hard on the back. Indeed, high heels are responsible for many back and foot problems in women. They may look attractive, but high-heeled shoes place the walker on the tips of their toes, causing the pelvis to arch forward and the back to curve unnaturally, placing undue strain on the lower back.6

Good shoes vs bad shoes

Here are some common ailments, and the most helpful types of footwear to try:3

Toe problems

  • Corns and calluses: Try wide, box-toed shoes, and cushioning on problem areas
  • Ingrown toenails: Try sandals or open-toed shoes
  • Bunions: Wear soft, wide-toed shoes or sandals
  • Hammertoe or claw toe: Try wide, box-toed shoes with toe pads

Problems in the front of the foot

  • Metatarsalgia (pain in ball of the foot): Wear wide, box-toed shoes
  • Stress fracture (pain beneath second or third toe): Try low-heeled shoes with stiff soles
  • Sesamoiditis (pain in ball of foot beneath big toe): Wear low-heeled shoes with stiff soles and soft padding

Problems in the back of the foot

  • Plantar fasciitis (heel spurs): Buy a cushioned insole and cut a hole over the painful spot
  • Bursitis of heel: Try a heel cup insert
  • Haglund’s deformity (swelling on back of heel, or ‘pump bump’): Wear soft shoes and heel pads
  • Achilles tendonitis (inflammation of the Achilles tendon): Try cushioned insoles, tendon straps, and/or heel cups
  • Tarsal tunnel syndrome (pain, tingling, or numbness along the bottom of the foot): Specially-designed orthotic inserts are best
  • Flat feet/PTTD (Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction or ‘fallen arches’): Try custom-made insoles, especially for children

If shoes are an issue, try a flat pair with greater support and cushioned soles and see if the pain improves.7

Children also need shoes that fit well, so have your child’s feet measured and change shoe sizes regularly to allow room for growth.4

Always see your healthcare professional if any foot or back pain is severe, or lasts longer than a few days. They suggest a podiatrist, or foot specialist.

References

  1. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. The Adult Foot. http://www.aofas.org/scripts/4disapi.dll/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=62. Accessed August 2010.
  2. American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Toe and Metatarsal Fractures. http://www.foothealthfacts.org/footankleinfo/metatarsal-fractures.htm. Accessed August 2010.
  3. Foot pain. University of Maryland Medical Center. http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_foot_pain_000061_1.htm. Accessed August 2010.
  4. American Podiatric Medical Association.Footwear. http://www.apma.org/MainMenu/Foot-Health/Foot-Health-Brochures-category/Learn-About-Your-Feet/Footwear.aspx. Accessed August 2010.
  5. The American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics & Medicine.Metatarsalgia. http://acfaom.org/metatarsalgia.shtml. Accessed August 2010.
  6. American Chiropractic Association. Today’s fashion can be tomorrow’s pain. http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=73. Accessed August 2010.
  7. NHS Choices. Back pain-prevention. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Back-pain/Pages/Prevention.aspx. Accessed August 2010.