Are you constantly dealing with back pain? If so, have you ever stopped to think maybe your shoes are to blame? Choosing the right type of shoe goes a long way in helping prevent back pain. In fact, certain shoes can actually help alleviate back pain because they incorporate arch support, have proper shock absorption and are made of lightweight materials. All of these components work together to help reduce the harmful impacts you make on your knees, hips and back when you walk.
Whether your posture has changed due to years of hunching over, carrying heavy weight, or even wearing the wrong type of shoes, it can all contribute to lower back pain. Here’s a closer look at how the shoes you wear and the way you walk affect your back.
What Causes Back Pain?
More than 75 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives, but unfortunately, the reasons differ. Back pain is oftentimes a symptom of a misaligned spine. If the spine does not get adequate support, the surrounding tissues try to compensate. When stress accumulates on the weakest points of the spine, it produces pain because all nerves have to exit through the spinal column, making the nerves more compressed. Compressed nerves can be attributed to a variety of causes, but a few lesser-known ones are the way you walk and shoes you wear.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly… Shoes
Some shoes actually offset your balance and cause your back to overcompensate. For example, high-heeled shoes cannot absorb or deflect certain shocks you make when you walk, so they are absorbed by the knees, hips and lower back. This can actually upset your back because the position of your foot in a high-heeled shoe also contributes to postural misalignment, which is actually one of the leading causes of poor posture.
The wrong types of shoes do not allow your walk to be properly absorbed, and when you walk on asphalt and tile surfaces they tend to aggravate your lower back and spine.
Finding the Perfect Fit
The best pain-relieving shoes deflect the shocks that travel through the foot to the spine when you walk. Running shoes provide more arch support than normal walking shoes. If you cannot afford customized orthotic shoes, running shoes are strongly advised.
According to Lowerbackpainfree, examples of excellent orthotic footwear designs include:
• Women’s 7.5 SAS Sandals
• New Balance MR 1123 Men’s Running Shoes
• New Balance Unisex Running 993
Shoes like these are specifically made to counteract the static shocks you make when you walk. In addition, they also provide optimal structural support for your body’s frame. In one particular example, North American Spine mentions the importance of footwear in their newest back pain eBook. Check it out to learn more on lower back pressure, overpronation, and underpronation.
For your back’s sake, choose the shoes that both feel comfortable and help support your back. Shoes with adequate support will naturally help reduce back pain by providing structural support to the spine. Walk your way into less back pain.