Can Foot Pain Cause Back Problems?
By Randi Morse
I saw a joke online recently that said the way you know you've become an adult is when you wake up in pain and have no idea why you're suffering. While it is funny to laugh at, it's also a little bit true. When we are young our bodies are more flexible and more resilient to damage. They heal faster and so, generally, any pain we get when we are young is fleeting. As an adult, this changes. Our bodies are more rigid and set and it doesn't take much to cause damage.
When your back is in pain, you may initially believe that it is because you twisted, or moved, in such a way that it aggravated your back or pulled things out of alignment. The truth of the matter is there are several different things that can cause back pain when you're an adult. Did you know that even your feet could be the cause of your back pain?
All Connected
While your body seems as though it's made up of different parts, fingers, arms, legs, all these parts are connected. This means that when one part of your body is not working correctly, it can have a trickle-down effect that causes issues with other parts of your body. Let's say that you have a problem with your feet. Maybe you've broken your big toe, or you've badly twisted your ankle. In order to avoid being in pain, you change the way you walk. If your big toe is painful you may find yourself walking more on the outside edge of your foot than you normally would. While this may seem like a great way to avoid pain, it can cause problems with your spine.
Uneven Gait
Whenever you change the way you walk in order to avoid pain, you are forcing your body to accept an unusual gait. Because your body is not used to this new way of walking, the muscles and tendons in your back are not conditioned properly. This makes them much more likely to pull your back out of alignment.
The good news is that back pain caused by foot problems is usually easy to remedy. An experienced chiropractor such as those at The Joint Chiropractic can help alleviate the strain on your back, relieving pressure and pain. If you wake up in the morning and your back is in pain, don't automatically assume you twisted or bent incorrectly. Try thinking of your body as one big organism instead. The sooner you figure out what caused the back pain, the easier it will be to get rid of it. The drop into one of more than 500 locations nationwide of The Joint Chiropractic and get the help you deserve.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in San Antonio, Tex.