Are Your Feet Killing Your Back?

Backaches and sciatica image.

They carry us everywhere we want to go and support virtually every sized and shaped body frame. They are thrust into narrow spaces, where they are pinched, or raised up on four-inch platforms to give us height. They fall victim to bunions, calluses, plantar warts, and blisters and we subject them to hot sand, hard gravel and stones in the summer. Once in awhile we treat them to a pedicure – how nice! And believe it or not – they may actually be the cause of that pain in your lower back! We’re talking about feet.

Perhaps the most important part of our feet are the arches. Normal arches are built to be strong and flexible, like “shock absorbers,” to provide the balance necessary to support the body. When arches are flat, the muscles in the lower back become strained as they work harder to balance the body over both feet.

One way to compensate for low arches and to reduce back pain is to invest in some good foot orthotics. Worn in each shoe, orthotics bring back form and function to the feet so that proper balance can be restored. In order to heal, it’s important to wear orthotics in your shoes whenever you’re standing, walking, running or biking. Part–time use will offer little help.

Orthotics can be made to accommodate any size foot. They usually replace your current shoe insole. By changing the way your feet work, which can relieve the muscle strain, and therefore, the pain in your lower back. Many notice more energy and less fatigue.

Of course, orthotics are merely adjuncts to something even more important: your chiropractic adjustments! Contact us for a thorough examination if you are experiencing low back pain, whatever the source. We're just a phone call away!

Dr. Payne Asks some important questions of interest to Destin residents - Chiropractor Destin Dr. Payne Asks...

Are aches and pains good or bad?
While aches or pains may be unpleasant, they're merely warning signs. As a Destin chiropractor, I see this all the time. The pain is not the problem! It just means a limitation has been reached and something needs to change. That's when we get to work correcting the underlying cause.
Can a chiropractor heal?
There's never been a case in which a doctor (chiropractor or otherwise) has formed scar tissue, mended a broken bone or cured a headache. Only you can do that. Turns out you're the doctor! All I do is help remove interferences to your body's healing ability. Ready to get started? Call our office today.