The body is a complicated piece of machinery. As we continue to learn more about how it works and how intricately everything is put together, the better we can help prevent future ailments. Just by knowing what triggers what, we can work to improve our health on a daily basis. And more often than not, this means understanding severe oddities (or what we consider to be “oddities”). Such as how organs affect the muscles, which way nerves travel through the body, and so on. Once we understand them they don’t sound so odd – but getting only the basic facts causes us to question our bodies in new way’s we’d never considered.

One such bodily oddity is the connection between the feet and the back. (Or really, the feet and anywhere else in the body.) Because of the way nerves and bones fall, and because the body is supported by the feet, without the proper foot care, you could not only feel it when you walk, you could feel it in the back. However, when muscles and bone structures are given support, that posture improvement travels from the feet up, into the back, and creating a pain-free environment – just by adjusting the way weight hits the ground.

Why It Works

If you stop to think about it, the feet are pretty amazing. They support the entirety of your weight on two small platforms. They also provide balance, allow you to walk, run, and turn on any given moment. Depending on your daily activities, you could spend hours upon hours working out your feet – adding pressure and weight displacement to its nerves. When sections of the feet aren’t properly supported, however, nerve damage can travel up through the body. Or, more commonly, improper support on the balls or aches of the feet cause the back to “sit” wrong. With each step, bones and muscles alike jar and hit improperly; this causes misalignment, among other issues that bring on pain.

With orthopedics – or just better shoes – the feet are splayed out correctly, the ankles lifted, and arch configuration is held steadily in place. Better yet, is each step holds the feet steady; there’s no room for movement or sliding, which can also lead to pain or discomfort. Though it may sound simple, it’s the easiest way to improve the feet (and its effect on the back), and it can be done while you continue with everyday activities.

All this for the price of a new pair of shoes – or even just the inserts that go inside them. Either scenario is far cheaper than a doctor visit or ongoing medications.

The Back and Foot Connection

New studies have shown just how important orthopedics have become. These foot inserts or whole shoes come in all specialties, and allow wearers to gain proper foot alignment with each step. However, most focus on the arch and how the foot hits the ground to better divvy up impact.

As for the feet themselves, without the right equipment, they could take a serious beating. Each foot has 26 bones and 33 joints, leaving plenty of areas that need support. Without alignment, each muscle and piece of connective tissue is left to its own devices – often the source of injury in the first place.

While some are lucky enough to have “tough” feet, there’s really no way of telling how much damage bad shoes can cause until you replace them. Even feet that don’t hurt or become sore can be relaying messages of pain up through the body. Whether or not you think your feet are causing you problems, a set of insoles could offer back pain relief in your first few days of use.

Though it may sound like a simple fix, it’s also an important one. Consider the use of insoles or supportive shoes to eliminate your back pains today.