Can An Arch Support in Heels Prevent Back Pain?
Around 78% of women wear heels regularly and about 58% express having back pain.
Many people don’t realize that the health of their feet affects the well-being of their entire body. Your feet play a role in maintaining a healthy back.
Without the presence of arch support in heels you could experience a lot of pain. Whether you have to wear heels for work or you simply like them, this article is for you.
Continue reading below to learn all the information you need about reducing back and foot pain while wearing the shoes you love.
Understanding the Foot-Back Relationship
Your feet are the foundation of your body. They support your entire skeletal structure.
If something is wrong with them, you’re going to feel it in other parts of your body.
The body is interconnected, and each part can be influenced and impacted by another portion.
Any misalignment or stress on your feet can impact your joints and muscles. Ultimately, your spine will be affected as well.
If your arches aren’t supported, you could experience overpronation or supination. These issues can cause your weight to be distributed differently and cause spine misalignment. This is the last thing you want as it’s painful.
Feet and Back Pain
Heels without arch support can lead to several issues. We mentioned spinal misalignment earlier, but it can also increase pressure on your intervertebral discs.
The pelvis will start to tilt forward and increase the curvature of your lower back. This adds compression to the spinal discs, leading to discomfort.
Without support, your heels can induce muscle strain and fatigue. The lower back muscles have to work harder to ensure you’re stable and balanced.
Wearing heels without support will lead to the muscles being overworked, which you don’t want.
Another issue caused by lack of support is shortened calf muscles. This will lead to changes in your gait and posture. Walking when bad posture or an unnatural gait can cause lower back issues.
Promoting Proper Alignment
Arch support helps you maintain the natural curvature of your feet. This influences the alignment of your entire body.
When your arches are supported adequately, they encourage a more neutral alignment of not only the spine, but of the ankles, knees, and hips. Once your body is properly aligned, it reduces the stress on the muscles in your back, as well as the ligaments and joints.
The spine plays a pit role in coordinated movement. If you don’t prioritize arch support, it may be hard for you to walk, bend, or twist.
Proper alignment ensures that your body functions properly, and you have a full range of motion. If you don’t prioritize your feet, you may find your quality of life decreases.
It’s important to note that back issues due to misalignment and lack of foot support can show themselves in different ways. If you start to feel numbness or tingling sensations in your lower back, it may be a sign you need custom orthotics or chiropractor care.
Controlling Pronation and Supination
Without the right support, your feet will start to make abnormal movements.
Overpronation is when your foot rolls inward when you walk. You may not notice this at first. It may be subtle and gradually get worse.
However, after a while, it will impact your lower limbs and spine. Adding extra support to your shoes will reduce the risk of this happening.
Your feet may start to roll outward, which is called supination. This will have the same effect and cause you to be less stabilized.
An arch support will secure your feet and keep them in their natural position when you walk or stand.
Controlling, pronation and supination isn’t something you can do by yourself. You think you will notice it and correct it, but it won’t appear to be a problem until the pain starts.
Every time you put your heels on, you don’t want to have to worry about your gait or foot position. Investing in extra arch support will make your life much easier. You can slip on your shoes and go.
Improving Posture
Having good posture is crucial for many reasons. It reduces strain on the muscles and ligaments in your back. This makes doing daily activities much easier.
If your arches are collapsed, you aren’t supporting the rest of your body as well as you could. You also have a higher risk of issues such as plater fasciitis.
Arch support in heels encourages a more natural posture that is supportive.
Enhancing Stability and Balance
Imagine walking everywhere and feeling unbalanced. It won’t be pleasant, but if you don’t support your arches, that’s what will happen.
Arch support contributes to your overall foot stability. When you’re balanced, there’s no need to compensate with other movements.
Improved stability will put less pressure on your back and reduce the risk of abnormal movements that lead to injuries.
The sooner you start wearing arch support and taking care of your foot, the better.
Cushioning Impact
Every time you take a step, your arches absorb shock. Even when you’re standing, your arches are playing a crucial role.
Insufficient arch support can affect this mechanism. If your arches are absorbing the shock, then the bottom of your spine will.
This will lead to pain as more force is being placed on your back. By adding arch support to your heels, you can ensure this doesn’t happen.
It will reduce the transmission of force to your spine and your other muscles and joints.
Walk Tall, Walk Pain-Free: Arch Support In Heels
Are you surprised by how much your feet affect the rest of your body? The right arch support in heels will ensure your posture and gait are normal and you’re balanced.
You’re not only supporting your present self, but setting yourself up for a pain-free future as well.
Don’t let the wrong footwear and back pain keep you from living your life.
Our goal at Glenwood Sport and Spine is to provide our patients with the best hands-on treatment.
Our team is here to help you with any back pain you’re experiencing. Send us your questions here.