In America, back pain ranks as one of the main reasons people go to the hospital. Even more worrying is the fact that it is one of the leading causes of disability.
Some of the apparent causes of back pain are injuries, bad posture, and sleeping in an awkward position. A lesser-known cause of back pain is footwear. But worry no more because this article will help you find the best shoes for back pain to give you relief.
What is the relationship between footwear and backpain?
Your spine connects to the top of your legs, which helps in weight distribution as you walk. If for some reason, weight is not distributed properly through your feet, your back will likely hurt.
Pronation problems are the primary cause of improper weight distribution. Pronation refers to the inward motion of the feet as you stand and walk. This inward motion distributes and absorbs the pressure your body puts on your feet.
Pronation is highly dependent on the height of the foot arch. The two types of pronation problems are:
· Hyper-pronation
This condition refers to excessive pronation. The excessive inward movement of the foot causes the whole leg to move inward, which results in bad posture as you walk.
Over-pronation causes knee, hip, and lower back problems. That is particularly true is the over-pronation happens on one foot. When one foot excessively pronates, it becomes shorter, which drastically affects the weight distribution.
Besides, the excess inward motion of the feet causes the foot muscles to overwork as they struggle to pull your feet up.
Fallen arches, commonly called flat feet, cause over-pronation. Overpronators generally have wide feet.
· Hyper-supination
This condition is the opposite of hyper-pronation. With hyper-supination, your feet roll outward. As your feet turn outward, your whole leg rotates in the motion, which causes extra tension on the leg muscles. Like, hyper-pronation, hyper-supination results in hip and lower back problems.
Hyper-supination happens in people with a high foot arch, who generally have narrow feet.
Proper footwear solves pronation problems
The choice of shoe is critical in correcting gait problems caused by over-pronation and under-pronation. For instance, over-pronators require stiff (less-cushioning) shoes with motion control. On the other hand, under-pronators benefit from highly-cushioned flexible shoes.
People with severe pronation problems need custom-made orthopedic shoes. You can find a lot of best shoes for back pain on the market.
Proper footwear and back pain
Regardless of pronation problems, proper footwear will help back pain sufferers. Remember, bad posture is one of the causes of back pain. The right shoe will provide adequate back support as you walk or run. On the other hand, the wrong shoe might keep your spine misaligned, which results in back pain.
For men, 7, 000 steps in the wrong shoe could cause spine problems. In women, spine problems require only 5, 000 steps in the wrong shoes.
When looking for a shoe to manage or prevent back pain, the brand is not as important as the following factors:
· Material: Focus on the material inside the shoe. It should effectively absorb shock and be comfortable to reduce soreness of the feet and plantar fasciitis. As such, it should be a dense and soft material. Also, the material on the heel should be supportive enough to sustain the impact of your body as you walk or run.
· Style: High heels are bad for your back since most of the weight is exerted on the forefeet (uneven distribution of weight). Completely flat shoes are not good either; they lack sufficient support, which means your back and legs sustain the impact of walking and running. Most athletic shoes have a perfect style (not high, and not too flat).
· Arch support: The arch support of your footwear should match your foot arc. Arch support is a significant concern for people with over-pronation and under-pronation.
