Have you ever asked yourself ” Are my feet causing my back, hip or knee pain?” In many cases the answer is YES! and this is because of the biomechanics of your body. Any problems with the function of your feet and it’s arches can have repercussions that may be felt all the way up the bio-mechanical chain to your knees, hips and lower back.
First of all, what exactly is biomechanics?
Biomechanics is defined as a “motion study” of the “mechanical forces acting on your body”. In the case of lower limb biomechanics we are looking at how the muscles and joints function in your lower limbs.
Let’s take a quick look at what biomechanics for your lower limbs work;
1- It all starts at your feet, they are basically the foundation for every step you take. They play an important role in shock absorption and movement to propel your body when walking or running. Movements that occur in your feet with these actions are “pronation” and “supination”, which causes your arches to either be high or low.
Now, think of it like a domino effect; when walking your arches raise and lower to help distribute your body weight. This then causes your leg and thigh to rotate inwards and outwards. Therefore when there is a problem with your feet, it may lead to increased stress or load on your knees, hips and lower back.
– Dr Toni Tran (Osteopath)