The foot bone’s connected to the back bone...
How does what’s happening at your foot affect your lower back?
What fascinates me about the human body is how it is all connected! There is connective tissue (fascia) throughout the body that connects your head to your feet and your fingers on one hand to your fingers on the opposite hand. When some muscles weaken, others tighten in order to create a sense of control and symmetry. Your body wants to be in harmony, in balance. What happens in one area has an effect on another area of the body.
Talking about everything being connected, how is the position of your foot connected to what may be going on with your lower back? I’ll “walk” you through it.
If your arch flattens due to over-pronation, the knee will roll inward into what’s called a valgus position. The femur (thigh bone) will follow and rotate inward. As a result, the outer hip muscles grip the femur and work hard to bring the pelvis on one side level with the other side. This constant muscle gripping and activation causes deep hip rotator muscle tightness. Deep hip rotator tightness limits the pelvic floor in its ability to rise and fall as the diaphragm rises and falls when you breathe.
When the pelvic floor and diaphragm don’t fully rise and fall with each breath, this can lead to shallow breathing or breathing with only the chest expanding and not the lower ribcage. Shallow breathing activates our sympathetic “flight, fight, freeze” state releasing increased cortisol, our stress hormone. Heightened stress increases lower back pain.
Our foot position can have an effect on our lower back, our breathing patterns, and our ability to regulate our nervous systems!
I’d like to invite you to observe how your foot position affects your knee, hip and pelvis positions. Notice the position of each foot, knee, hip and your pelvis.
Is there a difference between one side and the other? Do you experience pain in one or more areas of your body? If so, where? Does one side of the pelvis sit higher than the other? Do you have flat arches? Jot down notes about what you observe. When you talk to your provider, take these notes with you so you can remember to discuss your concerns. Sometimes, it’s easier to have some written notes to remind you of what you’d like to discuss during your visit.
Take good care,
Sharon