Back pain in Charlotte NC can be reduced if you don’t wear high heels

Back pain and high heels

Back pain can be caused by wearing high heels. Heels may add a lovely look to your outfit, but not only can they pose a problem to your ankles and feet, they can also cause pain to your knees, hips, and spine.

With so many ways that your back can get hurt, many women will be surprised to hear that the main reason for their back pain is their shoes. Normally, you would possibly think that either exercise, diet, or posture would do more damage than your footwear. It’s true that the way you sit, turn, and lift can contribute to the health of your back, however, the height of your heels may be the worst of them all.

Your four-inch heels will play a large role in a number of issues that are related to your health, including back pain. High heels can affect your back in many different ways when worn all day, every day. Wearing them can lead to:

• Lower back pain
• Scoliosis or curvature of the spine
• Damaged leg tendons
• Sciatica or pinched nerves

The negative impact of high heels

Your weight will be distributed evenly throughout your feet when wearing shoes that are flat. Your natural balance can be distorted by wearing high heels by placing your heels higher than your toes, this can result in:

• Extra pressure on the balls of your feet, will affect your walking speed and stride length which will change your biomechanics
• Your spine and hips moving out of alignment
• Tense muscles in your calves
• The forward curve in the lower back can decrease or flatten out, this will over time cause muscle overuse, and back pain and strain

How to ease the back pain

The most obvious way to stop the pain in your back caused by your high heels is to stop wearing them. For some though, this may not be an option due to your work attire and style choice. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can relieve some of your back pain.

• Before and after wearing your heels, you can stretch your hip flexors and leg muscles. There are a variety of stretches that you can do, just be sure to pick the one that is the most comfortable for you.
• Stretch and massage the muscles in the soles of your feet. You can try having a foot massage such as reflexology or just roll your foot on a golf ball. This will help to loosen your hamstrings and lengthen and relax the plantar fascia in your foot.
• Increase and strengthen your foot and ankle’s range of motion. A great way to build the strength in your feet is by walking barefoot in sand. You can also try an exercise called the “marble pickup”, you can do this by sitting on a chair, placing some marbles on the ground in front of you, and pick the marbles up using your toes.

Reduce the risk of back pain in Charlotte NC

To reduce the risk of back pain does not mean that you will have to eliminate your high heels from your wardrobe unless the pain in your back is too severe. You can possibly just not wear them for a short period of time or maybe reduce the height of your heels.

If you are experiencing back pain because of your high heels, it may be the time to get the care you can count on by seeing your chiropractic specialist.

ChiroCarolina®, one of Charlotte’s premier chiropractic clinics, is known throughout the Southeast for providing the best chiropractic care in the Uptown Charlotte, NoDa, and UNCC college areas, conveniently located on North Tryon Street. Trust ChiroCarolina® in Charlotte: visited by patients throughout the south: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, and Texas.