Knee, Hip and Lower Back Pain
Problems that start with your feet can lead to chronic pain in your knees, hips, and back. Misalignments of the bones and other structures in the foot can alter how you walk and also how the lower extremities bear your weight as you move. The resulting pain and discomfort can become chronic if the problems with your feet are not addressed in a timely fashion.
Why would a foot problem cause issues further up the body?
It is therefore important to uncover the source of your pain and treat it effectively. There are several reasons why a foot problem might cause issues further up the body. These include:
- A misalignment of the structure of the foot. (Possibly caused by inappropriate shoe wear)
- A possible injury that wasn’t treated or didn’t heal properly
- Degenerative diseases like arthritis can affect the bones. The characteristic inflammation associated with various types of arthritis can force bones, tendons, and ligaments out of their natural alignment, changing how your foot functions and altering your gait.
These can force certain structures out of their natural alignment, causing constant inflammation that can eventually damage the bones and connective tissues, causing them to heal abnormally
If the foot doesn’t function properly, it can cause the other joints in the lower part of the body to overcompensate. This causes stress and pressure on the joints that normally wouldn’t pose a problem. The longer the misalignment exists, the more damage it can cause to both the feet and the other joints.
It is important to seek knee, hip, and lower back pain help in Surrey by getting a podiatrist to assess your feet to see if there is any connection between your foot function and your joint pain.
Orthotics are one of the measures that can be used to correct problems with the arches and the other curves associated with the feet, providing much-needed support that takes the pressure off of the other joints in the lower extremities Other measures include exercise prescription, soft tissue work, and any onward referral that might need to be advised.