It is true, “Your feet can cause back pain.” Just last week I had a new client come in with neck and shoulder pain. He was an older man in decent shape. He had visited several doctors and had been to physical therapy with no luck in relief. I examined him and found that his neck, shoulders, and chest muscles were soft. His range of motion was good with no restrictions. He said that everybody had worked only on his upper body. Some offered braces, injections, and strength training exercises to alleviate the pain. I could not see anything that could possibly cause him discomfort in his neck and shoulders. Then an idea hit me to look at his lower body, especially his feet and ankles. Oh my gosh, his hips, legs, and feet were hard as a rock. He had a very limited range of motion in all his lower joints. He thought it was just old age that was causing his pain when in reality, it was lack of movement and shoes. Therefore his feet were causing his back pain.
Aging is Peer Pressure
We have historically told each other that as we age, we should slow down. The truth is, we should speed up. Too many people, of all ages, are just sitting too much. For every hour you sit, you should stand and walk for 15 minutes at the least. Sitting shortens the front side of your body leading to low back and neck stiffness. Wearing shoes with thick soles prevent your feet from being able to bend which tighen the ankles and cause back pain. AS people age, they need to move than ever to keep their joints lubricated, muscles and heart stronger, and reduces weight gain. Stop listening to your friends and show them how to age better.
Shoes can Affect Your Back
The calves and feet are greatly affected by the shoes we wear. When this happens the length of your gait will shorten leading to neck pain. You will hear me say over and over, 99% of all the people have never stretched their calves properly. That is a bold statement, I know, but we have 4 calf muscles and when you watch people stretch their calves they typically use the standard calf stretch you learn in the gym. The problem here is, that is an Achilles tendon stretch and does not address any of the 4 calf muscles. So learning how to stretch the calves properly will increase the range of motion in the ankles which will lengthen your stride and, believe it or not, relieve your neck and upper back pain. The shorter your stride, the more you will lead with your nose when you walk. This will cause mid back pain and neck stiffness. Which shows how your feet can cause back pain. Check out by blog post, https://musclerepairshop.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1197&action=edit
Ah, The Recliner
The recliner is the death of older people. Sitting in a recliner for long periods of time has a detrimental affect on your entire back and neck. In a reclined position, the person will suffer from head forward posture. Reclined car seats will do the same. Reclined, the person’s hamstrings, back of thighs, are in a shortened state. This will cause back pain if they have to sit in a straight backed chair forcing them to stand to stop the pain. I can think of nothing worse for any one to buy.
Conclusion
It is work to change all of these things, so don’t do it all at the same time. Take it step by step. Be sure to view my videos on https://www.youtube.com/musclerepairshop, or contact me at https://www.musclerepairshop.com. I can help you improve your gait and posture to stop the nagging aches and pains. Aches and pains are not just age-related, it is bad mechanics and frankly, most practitioners are either not trained in body mechanics or they just don’t have the time to help you. You can help yourself stop the pain.
