Vancouver Orthotic Clinics: Foot Pain & Back Pain Interconnected
April may have started with some well-played jokes, but pain is never any fun. I’m Dr Michael Horowitz, your friendly neighborhood chiropractor in Vancouver and owner of Vancouver Orthotic Clinics. This month I’d like to talk about something that we all know is no laughing matter – suffering with foot or back pain.
This is the season when we commonly see lower back injuries and foot pain. People feel exuberant after long dark months inside to be more active and to get outdoors. In their enthusiasm, they tend to do too much too soon and run into trouble.
Here are some tips to turn that pain around and some action steps you can take to help your body feel better and you to move well when it comes to:
- Back Pain
- Foot Pain
Are you one of the chorus of ‘Weekend Warriors’ that cries out “Oh, my aching back”? Well, you are not alone. Lower Back Pain is common and affects 8 out of 10 people at some point in their lives.
What Is Back Pain and What Causes It?
Back pain can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain. You may feel acute back pain come on suddenly and it usually lasts a few days to a few weeks. Chronic low back pain comes and goes and presents with a lower intensity but can be very annoying and distracting.
Lower back pain is often a result of faulty spinal mechanics due to the accumulation of stress and tension on the spine. See a short ‘Spine Time’ video with Dr. Michael on the possible sources of your back pain, here.
No matter the type or intensity, your condition can be properly assessment and treated by a chiropractor. Hands on therapy like chiropractic and massage therapy help provide relief and healing by first getting to the source of the problem.
Chiropractic services aim to release spinal misalignment and reduced pressures from the nervous system. Find the stretch routine that works for you and keep yourself moving well.
Remember to stick to the good practices we’ve shared before:
- Start small: even 10 minutes at a time for easy walking, stretching and slow, gentle movements to warm your body up for the spring and summer season of fun and activity ahead.
- Go slow: Consider increasing your speed and intensity or even the weights you add on during exercise, by 10%. It’s hard to slow down when the great outdoors is beckoning, but it’s better than being sidelined with pain for weeks.
- Stretch more, stress less: Stretching keeps you at the top of your game and helps reduce injuries. In addition to stretches, think about lower impact activity, to reduce pressure and stress on your joints.
Your key to waking up well to fitness after hibernation, is patience.
Foot pain and back pain are interconnected. They have biomechanics in common, poor alignment of the feet and spine affect, mobility and ease of motion. Ultimately, this may be the source of a pinched nerve that causes pain. See a short video from Dr. Michael’s Feet First series to hear how your foot and back pain may be connected.
What can you do? Remember the foundation to great posture is your alignment. And if you want great posture, you’re going to have to start from the ground up with your feet.
Consider having a foot exam at one of our Vancouver Orthotic Clinics. Your health team at our clinics offers diagnosis and treatment of flat feet and foot and back pain. We’ve invested in the newest 3D Foot and Gait Scan technology and will often recommend a pair of custom orthotics to fit into your favorite shoes.
Tips to Prevent Foot Pain
So, you’ve gotten a proper exam and diagnosis and walked away with a treatment plan. Here’s how you can keep up the great step forward to healing and healthy activity:
Be conscious of your footwear:
- Footwear should be activity specific. The more you plan to walk or be active, the better tread, stability and breathability they should provide.
- Make sure the heel and ball of foot area are stable and sturdy.
- Ideally a higher heeled athletic shoe compared to the forefoot area height is a good choice. Check with us for brand suggestions.
Track your step numbers daily
- Yes, we aim for 10,000 steps – and that’s great if they are pain free.
- Based on symptoms, when in pain try to keep under 5000 steps per day
- Always choose the right footwear for your days with 7000+ steps.
It’s good to know your average daily step count and activity. If, for example, you have a day or weekend where you’ve taken 14,000 steps – your daily step record will give you a good idea of why you might be experiencing foot or back pain.
Tune into your body
- Listen to your body and know that pain is a real signal that tells us that something is wrong. It tells you to back off of your activities, reconsider your footwear and the potential need to head over to an examination and diagnosis at Vancouver Orthotics.
- This is especially good to do if your pain won’t go away after 4-5 days or if your pain keeps coming back. Get your feet examined and treated. Consider a foot examination before every new season or at least once per year, to avoid problems and symptoms from developing.
Why allow your aches and pains to impact your life and mood?
At Vancouver Orthotic Clinics supports starts ground up for better alignment and shock absorption. A foot exam at one of our clinics starts with a consultation, a postural foot and spine examination, and ultimately leads to a proper diagnosis and a personal treatment plan
Vancouver Orthotic Clinics now serves you in the Greater Vancouver Area and numerous locations. See information on Location & Hours for clinics at: Vancouver, Downtown, Burnaby (Metrotown), Richmond, Tri-Cities (Coquitlam), Surrey City Centre, North Delta, & now in Whistler & Victoria (Landford) BC Surrey (Guildford), East Vancouver, North Shore.
Please remember that your feet are the foundation of great posture and alignment. So if you want great posture, let’s start at your feet, and go up from there.
You can email us with any questions that you have, or you can call us directly because we’ll be happy to assist you.
So, sending you off into the sun, Dr. Michael Horowitz with Vancouver Orthotic Clinics, affirming that foot pain and back pain is definitely no joke, and encouraging you to resurrect your health in this springtime season.
Keep moving with your best foot forward.
Dr. Michael Horowitz,
info@vancouverorthoticclinics.ca
604-737-3668
Vancouver Chiropractic Services
News you can use from Vancouver Orthotics:
We are here to help. Learn more About US…..And click here to Book Online for a Consultation, Examination, Prescription, and Fitting & Dispensing of Custom Orthotic Inserts. There’s loads of information at our website, or you can use your health benefits and book an appointment online or call or email us with any questions that you have.
Oh, we like to share! Resources and useful information to our community. We have a “One-Minute Series”, “Feet First Series”, a “Lets Stretch Series” & an “Exercise for Health Series”. You can also Shop Online for Dr. Michael’s Most Recommended Products to help support your Body.
VANCOUVER ORTHOTIC CLINICS LE DA LA BIENVENIDA A LA GRAN COMUNIDAD HISPANA DE VANCOUVERhttps://vancouverorthoticclinics.ca/spanish-orthotics/
