When your knee, hip or lower back starts hurting, your feet may not be the first place you think to look. But the way your feet move can influence how the rest of your body moves too.
Our feet provide the foundation for standing, walking and running. If something changes in the way your feet function, it can sometimes affect movement further up the body, including the knees, hips and lower back.
So, if you’re experiencing ongoing pain in these areas, it may be worth looking at what’s happening from the ground up.
Your feet are part of a connected system
Every time you take a step, your feet absorb and transfer forces through your ankles and legs. Your knees, hips, pelvis and lower back all work together to keep you balanced and moving efficiently.
When the feet aren’t functioning as well as they could, your body may compensate.
For example, if your foot rolls excessively inwards when you walk, known as overpronation, this can influence the movement of your lower leg and knee. Similarly, high arches or restricted movement in the big toe or pain in one foot may cause you to change the way you walk.
Sometimes these changes are obvious. At other times, they’re subtle enough that you may not realise you’re compensating.
Can foot problems cause knee or hip pain?
They can sometimes contribute to knee and hip pain because changes in movement at the foot and ankle can affect the way forces travel through the knee.
The same applies to your hips. If you’re favouring one foot, taking shorter steps or altering your posture because of foot pain, the muscles and joints around the hips may have to work differently.
However, knee and hip pain can have many different causes. Foot mechanics are only one possibility, which is why a proper assessment is important rather than assuming the pain is coming from your feet.
What about lower back pain?
Again, there isn’t one simple cause of back pain.
However, the way you stand and walk can influence your posture and movement through your legs, hips and pelvis. If your body is continually compensating for discomfort or poor foot function, this may contribute to strain elsewhere.
For some people, the first clue is that they experience recurring pain on one side, feel uneven when walking or notice that their shoes are wearing differently from one side to the other.
Signs your feet may be contributing
It may be worth having your feet and gait assessed if you experience knee, hip or back discomfort alongside:
- recurring foot, heel or arch pain
- flat feet or very high arches
- feet that noticeably roll inwards or outwards
- uneven wear on your shoes
- pain that becomes worse after standing or walking
- frequent ankle problems
- stiffness or pain in the big toe
- a feeling that you walk differently on one side.
These signs don’t necessarily mean your feet are causing your pain, but they can provide useful information when investigating what may be happening.
How can a podiatrist help?
At Sanders Podiatry, we don’t just look at where it hurts. We look at how your feet and lower limbs are functioning together.
A gait assessment allows your podiatrist to observe the way you stand, walk and move. Depending on your symptoms, we may also assess your joint movement, muscle strength, foot posture and footwear.
This can help identify whether your foot mechanics may be contributing to problems elsewhere and, importantly, what can be done about it.
Does this mean I’ll need orthotics?
Not necessarily.
Orthotics can be helpful for some people, but they’re not automatically the answer to every foot, knee, hip or back problem.
Treatment depends on what is causing or contributing to your symptoms. It may include footwear advice, exercises, strengthening, changes to activity, orthotics or referral to another health professional when appropriate.
The goal is to understand why you’re experiencing pain and find the most appropriate way to help your body move comfortably.
Make an appointment with Sanders Podiatry and we’ll have a look at the whole picture
Persistent knee, hip or back pain shouldn’t simply be accepted as something you have to put up with. And sometimes, the source or contributing factors aren’t exactly where you feel the pain.
If you’re experiencing foot pain alongside discomfort in your knees, hips or lower back, a podiatry assessment can help determine whether the way your feet are functioning may be part of the picture.
Sanders Podiatry provides podiatry services from our Linden Park, Stirling and Mount Barker clinics. Contact our experienced and friendly team to make an appointment and have your feet, footwear and gait properly assessed.
Our podiatry clinics are located in Linden Park, Mt Barker or Stirling.
Sander Podiatry Adelaide – 08 8379 1456 (Greenhill Podiatry)