The Best Shoes for Your Back and Posture
By Sara Butler
If you suffer from back pain or neck pain, the reason may be strapped to your feet. That’s right, your shoes may be the reason for the aches and pains you suffer through. That's because your feet play a huge role in the health of your spine. Your feet are so vital to your skeletal and spinal health, you may want to start paying closer attention to what you’re putting on them.
Alignment
The structure of your spine can be thrown out of whack if your feet aren’t aligned correctly, leading to discomfort and even pain. When you have issues with your feet, they can lead to big problems everywhere, and sometimes the culprit behind that lower backache can be the shoes you’re wearing. That’s because some kinds of shoes actually create misalignments in your feet; when your feet are thrown off, then your whole body can be thrown off.
What to Look Out For
Shoes have a huge impact on our health and you may not even realize it. But you have to start thinking about your feet as the foundation on which your body rests. If there’s a problem with the support of the foundation, then the whole thing can come crumbling down -- and when you’re talking about your spine, that's a very painful process.
Any shoes that don't help you to maintain your natural center of gravity because they're pushing you forward on your toes, or that don’t offer support to your arches that cause muscles in the foot to work overtime, are a big problem. If you want to avoid back or neck problems, then you need to stay away from these types of footwear:
- Sky-high heels
- Flip-flops
- Platforms
- Shoes of the wrong size
- Ballet flats
- Pointy-toed shoes
- Stilettos
The shoes you’re wearing can be fashionable and supportive at the same time. Make sure you look for:
- Good arch support
- Flexibility in the front of the shoe
- Wide heels no higher than an inch
Your shoes can help you take steps toward a healthier back and body, you just have to be diligent in finding a shoe that is both functional and fashionable. Your chiropractor may not be a fashion expert, but they do know a thing or two about proper support. If you have questions about your choices in footwear, chiropractors are perfect people to ask!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.