The Correlation Between a Good Shoe Fit and a Healthy Spine
A healthy spine lets you do everything. It’s what makes it easy to run, to stand tall, to dance, to wrestle – to have fun. Your spine is one of the most important bones in your body, only second to your skull, and you might be damaging it every time you head out of the house.
Why Do Shoes Damage Your Spine?
The way your feet are positions directly changes the shape and curve of your spine. Over time this can lead to misalignment. Heels particularly impact your musculoskeletal system and do change the alignment of your spine every single time that you wear them.
Wear heels for a short period of time and your lumbar spine, pelvis, and upper body are all impacted for the worse. Wear them for prolonged periods and your spine might even develop Hyperlordosis, meaning there is an excessive spine curve on your lower back, or swayback, where your posture is bent-back and causes you pain.
Shoes that Damage the Spine
It is not just heels that can damage your spine. There are plenty of styles that are fun and fashionable that can damage your spine, tendons, and even feet.
Weight Loss Shoes
Weight loss shoes have an unbalanced sole that “works out” your legs in ways you typically would not just walking on flat ground. Regardless of whether these types of shoes work for you or not, they are doing damage to your spine that you should worry about.
High Heels
Heels, especially those above 1 inch, are terrible for your posture, strength, tendons, and of course spine. If wearing heels, it is best to opt for an option that fits your foot and arch well and is at most 1 inch off the ground. This shorter heel only puts about 20% of the pressure on your spine, whereas higher heels can put as much as 76% more pressure. (source)
Pointed Toe Shoes
Pointed toe shoes can and do give you bunions because they force the bones in your foot out of place. This shift can cause posture problems and spinal problems, whether you are wearing those types of shoes or not.
Flip Flops
Flip flops, especially the cheap kind, need to be held on by scrunching your toes. This additional action puts more weight on the sides of your feet, which causes your spine to adjust for balance. This adjustment can result in pain and misalignment over time.
Flat Shoes
Flats with great arch support don’t count. By flat shoes, we mean the cheap types that don’t have any soles and are instead completely flat. They elongate and pull on the tendons and can result in spinal issues due to the complications with your ankles.
How to Fix Damage Caused by Your Shoes
Wearing practical, supportive footwear more often will help, but if you want to see faster relief of your symptoms, you will want to:
Improve Your Flexibility and Strength
One of the best ways to alleviate any back pain you may feel is by working on improving your flexibility and strength.
Go to a Chiropractor
Wearing unstable shoes misaligns the spine, so going for chiropractic care is a great way to enjoy immediate relief. SnapCrack is a walk-in chiropractor in Brickell that can help. Simply walk in and consult with one of our expert chiropractors. They can either crack, drop or click your spine back into its proper positioning and have you feeling better. SnapCrack’s Brickell chiropractor office removes all the hassle and helps your spine recover quickly.
