Shoe Inserts Found to Ease Lower Back Pain

If you have low back pain, it may be caused by a variety of reasons such as: degenerative disease of the spine and hips, leg-length discrepancy, nerve injury, pain referred from internal organs, lower extremity joint disease, etc. During their lifetime, 80 percent of adults will suffer from back pain, which can lead to disability.

Previously most of the studies done on back pain and leg-length discrepancy were for leg-length discrepancies greater than 10 mm (0.4 inch). A recent study was done with participants who demonstrated less than 10-mm leg-length discrepancy and who had chronic low back pain.

Participants underwent an ultrasound screening to determine if they had a leg-length discrepancy. Participants were also asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire regarding their back pain. Twenty-two patients were provided with a shoe insert for the shorter leg and compared with 11 participants without the shoe inserts.

The authors concluded that shoe lifts used for several weeks significantly reduced chronic low back pain. In fact, they found the effects began immediately with wearing a shoe insert. If you have back pain and haven’t had leg-length measurement, it may be time to talk to your doctor about doing so.

For more information see: “Conservative Correction of Leg-Length Discrepancies of 10 mm or Less for the Relief of Chronic Low Back Pain,” R. Defin, PhD; S. Benyamin, MS; R. Aldubi, PhD; C. Pick, PhD, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, volume 86, issue 11, p.2075-2080, November 2005.