Poor footwear and back pain!
Poor footwear, especially high heels, cause problems from the big toe right up to the spine causing back pain.
The first area we see problems are painful lumps (called bunions) on the outside of your big toe. Typically a bunion forms from pressure on the front of the foot causing a deviation in the bones of the big toe. It creates painful pressure contact on the bunion, looks unsightly and the big toe can get stiff.
Another issue with high heels are tight calf muscles. Because as your heels are elevated, it shortens the calf muscle. This shortened muscle can have a biomechanical impact on the legs. Constant wear also applies pressure to the shin bone and added stress to it can lead to issues such as ‘shin splints’ – pain on the front of the shin, which is common in runners.
You can also get calluses, hard patches of skin, under the front and ball of the foot.
Although there is a force distribution going through the hip joint, while wearing high heels, it may not directly causes specific hip problems but it does cause stress on the area!
What to do about poor footwear and back pain? The best way to avoid these conditions is to give the feet a rest!
- Limit the amount of time in high heels if you need to wear them to work.
- Always commute in flats and trainers to take the stress away from hips and knees.
- Those who frequently wear heels should do calf stretches.
- There are self help remedies you can do to deal with pain, such as standing on the edge of a step and letting the heel drop towards the next step, allowing the feet to stretch
- Massaging the sole of the feet can help – try using a golf ball or a rolling pin.
- Other remedies include a hot bath and mobilisation, such as drawing circles or the alphabet with your foot.
- Walk properly in comfortable shoes. Why not try Nordic Walking!
For more information in Wilmslow:
An Introduction to Nordic Walking
What is Nordic Walking?
Founded in Finland and used as a cross-country skiing summer training method. Nordic walking uses specially designed poles to engage the upper body during fitness walking. Involving the upper body takes some of the effort from the lower limbs and propels the body forward. This makes walking distances seem easier, especially up hills and inclines.
I offer to help clients, who wish to become more active (and lose weight by getting back into regular exercise) to learn Nordic Walking. Nordic Walking Technique can help improve walking gait and posture. This can be done during hour long one-to-one sessions or small group sessions. We use local parkland areas such as The Carrs and Styal Country Park, as well as small urban parks such as Meriton Park, Handforth.
Benefits of Nordic Walking
- Uses 90% of the skeletal muscles
- Burns up to 46% more calories than ordinary walking
- Reduces the pressure on the knees and joints.
- Poles propel the walker along, making it easier to move faster than normal without feeling the effort.
- Increases upper body strength.
- Ideal for neck, shoulder and back problems
Lifetime Activity
- Great for weight loss and general conditioning.
- It is a total body workout!
- It is a great social activity and you can enjoy with friends and family for a lifetime.
For those who have difficulty walking and need to have more stability from a walking pole, I can provide Activator Poles, which allows for greater weight bearing through the pole which can increase confidence with walking.
For more information Walk This Way…
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