Are Your “Flat” Feet Causing Your Lower Back Pain?

Your foot health is an important part of overall wellness. While the lyrics “The heel bone connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone connected to the shin bone …”  may not be anatomically correct, the concept is absolutely right. The components of our body are all connected to each other. When one part of the body goes out of alignment, the body compensates for the imbalance, and that can cause pain over time. The pain we feel in one area is often a symptom of a problem that actually originates somewhere else.

Our body’s foundation begins with our feet, all the way down to where our big toe connects to the ground. If your foot’s bio-mechanics are off, you may not experience foot pain, but you might feel it elsewhere. If you’ve ever experienced foot pain ( and most of us have), you probably noticed that your walk changed while the problem healed. You may not even be aware of the imbalance, but it can cause shifts in your body’s alignment, starting with the feet, which can work its way up to through the knees, hips and spine. Over time, your adjusted gait can cause repetitive motion injuries that can affect you in places you might not expect, like your hip or your lower back.

The relationship between foot problems and back pain was demonstrated in a 2013 study that examined lower back pain and women with pronated (aka “flat”) feet. To determine if you either overpronate or pronate too late during the gait cycle, a proper gait analysis should be performed.  You cannot tell this properly by standing on a flat mat, like you do in the drug store. The same study also suggests that orthotics can improve foot function and relieve back pain symptoms.

A visit to a podiatrist in Vancouver could help you with your lower back pain and prevent the need for medication, or even surgery down the road. Custom orthotics from a qualified Vancouver podiatrist create the specific support your feet to regain proper function and balance and correct the mechanics of your gait. To assess and correct these types of foot and back problems, Vancouver podiatrist, Dr. Roy Matthews DPM and Dr. Victor Quintoro DPM use 3D laser imaging to create the orthotics. The Vancouver podiatrists at Vancouver Podiatry have undergraduate degrees in Kineseology and access to F-scan technology for an in depth gait analysis for challenging cases.

Looking for a qualified and experienced podiatrist in Vancouver to address your foot and back pain? Make sure they understand the connection between the two.  Contact us at our new Kerrisdale location of Vancouver Podiatry.

Published on:February 18, 2015
Posted in Uncategorized by dm