Shoes and Back Pain: Spinal Health’s Connection to Your Feet

The shoes you wear have a direct correlation to how you walk and how your gait affects your spinal health. Posture, proper walking techniques, and movement, in general, can benefit or can be a detriment to your spinal health and how your back feels on a day-to-day basis. Some of the factors that determine how shoes affect your spinal health include:

• Heel height
• Cushion and shock absorption
• Shoe fit
• Arch Support

If your body is already experiencing spinal health issues or you want to learn about how chiropractic care can help keep you feeling your best. Our Beverly Hills chiropractic professionals at Tannenbaum Chiropractic can work with you to find alignment and feel your best while helping you learn how to take care of your spine.

Contact our Beverly Hills chiropractors to schedule an appointment.

Shoe Types that Affect Your Spine

There are a few key players in the shoe world that can do some major damage to your spinal health. These shoe styles can cause back pain, affect how you walk long term, and can even damage your feet.

• High Heels: Higher heels often equate to frequent or severe back pain as well as injuries that include rolled or sprained ankles, bunions, and other foot issues. A bent foot and raised ankle throw off your gait and your spine. The higher the heel, the more your walking stance is thrown off and the more your spine compensates to keep your balance.
• Flip-flops: Flat shoes with no arch support and little to no connection to the foot can cause arch, heel, ankle, and knee pain. These strains can eventually affect your spinal health. Flip flops also create more pressure on the outside of the foot. Flip flops can lead to injury due to a lack of ankle support and lack of stability. Standing on unstable ground, climbing, and walking on slippery surfaces in flip flops are recipes for falls, trips, and twisted ankles.
• Old sneakers or gym shoes: Shoes that have diminished tread, worn down arch support, and whose cushion is compacted will provide diminished support and stability. Shoes that are falling apart or that no longer fit well will change your gait (even if you do not notice it) and will offer less support while you exercise.

Popular Shoes and Your Back

Although many popular shoe brands (i.e. Vans or Chuck Taylors) are stylish and look cute, they offer little arch support and are flat. Walking long distances or doing regular, daily activities in these types of shoes may exacerbate back pain or cause new spinal health issues. Shoes that do not offer proper arch support will inevitably negatively impact your spinal health. If you must wear them, be sure to switch to supportive shoes for any long-distance walking or as much as you can.

Tannenbaum Chiropractic: Your Beverly Hills ChiropractorWondering if your shoes are affecting your spine? Starting to feel back pain creeping in? Contact our team to talk about what you are experiencing and how we can help. We are happy to evaluate your spinal health and offer options for care. We can even help you with custom orthotics for your shoes so that you can have the spinal support you need in any of your shoes.

Call Tannenbaum Chiropractic in Beverly Hills today and schedule your appointment with our team.