During their lifetime, 80 percent of adults will suffer from back pain, which can lead to disability.
If you have lower back pain, it may be due to a variety of causes, such as: degenerative disease of the spine and hips, nerve injury, pain referred from internal organs, lower extremity joint disease, or leg-length discrepancy.
Most of the previous studies done on back pain and leg-length discrepancy have been for leg-length discrepancies greater than 10 mm (0.4 inch). In 2006, however, a study was done with participants who demonstrated less than 10-mm leg-length discrepancy and who nevertheless had chronic lower back pain.
During the study, 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 lower back pain. Twenty-two participants were provided with a shoe insert for the shorter leg and were then compared with 11 participants who didn’t have the shoe inserts.
Study Result: Shoe Lifts Can Relieve Lower Back Pain
The authors concluded that shoe lifts used for several weeks significantly reduced chronic lower 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.
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