Chiropractic And Foot Orthotics For Back Pain Relief

Doctors of chiropractic have three common goals when treating patients with low back pain or sciatica. The first goal is pain management. Second goal is posture alignment or correction. Third goal is prevention of back pain or sciatica. When appropriate, the use of corrective prescription foot orthotics can help achieve all three goals.

In a 2017 study, researchers recruited 225 adult subjects with chronic low back pain and randomly assigned them to one of three treatment groups. The first group only got shoe orthotics. The second group got chiropractic care with shoe orthotics. The third group did not get any treatment.

The primary outcome measures used to track change over time included a numerical pain rating scale and a functional rating questionnaire at baseline and after six weeks of treatment, with follow-up at three, six, and twelve months later.

After six weeks, only the first two groups experienced improvements in both average back pain intensity and function, with the orthotic plus chiropractic group reporting even greater functional improvement.

While podiatrists have long suggested the use of foot orthotics for some cases of low back pain because of the effect foot function has on the “kinetic chain,” it was not until the last decade that researchers in other fields have reported the effects the feet have on knee, hip/pelvic, and back function.

Studies have now demonstrated the adverse effects of hyperpronation, or rolling in, of the foot on pain, function, and alignment of the pelvis. These studies point out the importance of not overlooking foot dysfunction as a potential, and important, contributing factor when managing patients with low back pain.

If you want custom-made shoe orthotics, we can do a quick and painless digital foot scan and see if orthotics may help relieve your back pain. As a chiropractor, Dr. Falkenroth has also discovered that shoe orthotics, when needed, can enhance the success of a patient’s sciatica treatment.