Your lower back pain may be caused by misalignment of your feet – it’s very commonly seen and treated by us. As health professionals specialising in the biomechanics of the foot and lower limb, we can help.

How is lower back pain caused by poor foot alignment?

The term pronation describes a tri-planar motion involving abduction, plantar-flexion, and internal rotation. It is a normal part of every person’s gait, but if it occurs at the wrong time, or the range of movement is abnormal, or occurs too fast then this can lead to a chain reaction that travels from the foot to the lower back. If left untreated, pain and injury may occur as overpronation creates an internal rotation of the lower limb, which in turn causes mechanical stress on the lower back.

How does a podiatrist identify the source of your lower back pain?

To determine if your foot posture may be causing or contributing to your lower back pain, we do a thorough biomechanical assessment. In most cases this will include a non weight-bearing assessment of joint range of movement, muscle testing, a static assessment of your posture, walking and/or running gait analysis using digital video equipment and plantar pressure measurements. This in-depth study allows the podiatrist to actually see the ground-reactive forces under your feet as you stand and walk, or run.

Through a biomechanical assessment our podiatrists can identify if your pronation is within the normal range or if it is abnormal and causing your symptoms.

We treat lower back pain with foot orthotics

If your lower back pain is caused by poor foot alignment or overpronation, then foot orthotics to improve foot posture is the best long term podiatric treatment option for addressing the cause of foot-related lower back pain.