The Best Shoes to Alleviate Low Back Pain
Although relatively uncommon, footwear cannot be ruled out for having an influence on low back pain. For the purposes of this article, I shall be looking at how over pronation (also known as flat feet/dropped arches) may be influencing your low back pain.
Before progressing any further, I am going to assume that walking/standing is one of the worst things for your pain. The reason I mention this, is because if it is not, and let's say walking actually eases your pain (which it does for many people) it is unlikely your footwear is having any influence at all on your low back pain.
Now we have established that, I shall pose my first question
Is your pain the same regardless of what you are wearing on your feet, or is some footwear better/worse than others?
If they are the same and you have several different types of shoes, your footwear may not be the problem. Instead it could be the physical process of walking which is aggravating your pain. This could be a result of how your muscles are working and the stresses they are placing upon your lower back, as opposed to what is on your feet. Whereas if certain footwear is better/worse for your low back pain it is possible they are contributing to your low back pain. This would lead to my next question, which is:
What is the arch support like in the footwear of the shoes which makes your pain better/worse?
What I would be specifically looking at here is, is there good support for the footwear you find most comfortable or very little support on those which make your pain worse? The reason I am asking this, is because over pronation (flat feet/dropped arches) can have an influence on low back pain due to the way it causes the leg to twist in, therefore placing increased stress upon the lower back. Consequently, if you are finding footwear which has a good arch support is better for your low back (or the shoes with very little support make your pain worse), it maybe that your feet are over pronated and it is this which is contributing to your pain.
Under these circumstances, as well as considering some good calf stretches as tight calf muscles can lead to over pronation, I would also suggest you try some off the shelf orthotics to see if they help. The reason I mention off the shelf orthotics, is because a lot of the time these can be just as good as prescribed ones.
In addition to this however, is the fact that purpose made orthotics can cost a lot of money. Off the shelf ones are just a fraction of that cost and will still be a good indicator as to whether over pronation is a contributor to your pain. You will also find that there are some off the shelf orthotics which offer a 30 day money back guarantees! Therefore, if you find they help or resolve your pain, you have saved yourself a lot of money, whereas if they have not, simply ask for your money back.
In summary, over pronation can definitely be a contributor to low back pain, hopefully this article has helped guide you as to whether it may be influencing the pain you are currently suffering with.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1327234
Although relatively uncommon, footwear cannot be ruled out for having an influence on low back pain. For the purposes of this article, I shall be looking at how over pronation (also known as flat feet/dropped arches) may be influencing your low back pain.
Before progressing any further, I am going to assume that walking/standing is one of the worst things for your pain. The reason I mention this, is because if it is not, and let's say walking actually eases your pain (which it does for many people) it is unlikely your footwear is having any influence at all on your low back pain.
Now we have established that, I shall pose my first question
Is your pain the same regardless of what you are wearing on your feet, or is some footwear better/worse than others?
If they are the same and you have several different types of shoes, your footwear may not be the problem. Instead it could be the physical process of walking which is aggravating your pain. This could be a result of how your muscles are working and the stresses they are placing upon your lower back, as opposed to what is on your feet. Whereas if certain footwear is better/worse for your low back pain it is possible they are contributing to your low back pain. This would lead to my next question, which is:
What is the arch support like in the footwear of the shoes which makes your pain better/worse?
What I would be specifically looking at here is, is there good support for the footwear you find most comfortable or very little support on those which make your pain worse? The reason I am asking this, is because over pronation (flat feet/dropped arches) can have an influence on low back pain due to the way it causes the leg to twist in, therefore placing increased stress upon the lower back. Consequently, if you are finding footwear which has a good arch support is better for your low back (or the shoes with very little support make your pain worse), it maybe that your feet are over pronated and it is this which is contributing to your pain.
Under these circumstances, as well as considering some good calf stretches as tight calf muscles can lead to over pronation, I would also suggest you try some off the shelf orthotics to see if they help. The reason I mention off the shelf orthotics, is because a lot of the time these can be just as good as prescribed ones.
In addition to this however, is the fact that purpose made orthotics can cost a lot of money. Off the shelf ones are just a fraction of that cost and will still be a good indicator as to whether over pronation is a contributor to your pain. You will also find that there are some off the shelf orthotics which offer a 30 day money back guarantees! Therefore, if you find they help or resolve your pain, you have saved yourself a lot of money, whereas if they have not, simply ask for your money back.
In summary, over pronation can definitely be a contributor to low back pain, hopefully this article has helped guide you as to whether it may be influencing the pain you are currently suffering with.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1327234
