High heels and sciatica: Patients can relieve pain through inserts and chiropractic care Chiropractic Economics

Christina DeBusk



April 20 20, 2022

For those suffering with sciatica or high heels keeping the heel’s to a minimum of two inches could aid

Up to 43% of individuals suffer from sciatica at some time in their lives. For certain people, the pain can be sufficient to restrict the activities they can engage in or even reduce their life quality. The most well-known cause of this type of pain that typically extends to in the rear of the leg, is result of pain caused by sciatica, as well as heels.

Although wearing shoes with lower heels may help, another alternative is to incorporate chiropractic treatment with inserts. This allows patients to keep wearing their favourite pair of heels without triggering sciatic pain.

High heels and sciatica

Shoes with heels shift the body’s weight to the front. This alters the curvature of the spine, which puts greater stress to the lower back as well as stretching the hamstrings which are located on the lower thigh’s back. Both of these factors can cause irritation and inflammation to the sciatic nerve which can cause the sensation of numbness, pain or tingling that usually is felt from lower back down to the foot.

The most obvious way to alleviating this discomfort is to stay away from high-heeled shoes entirely. For certain patients that are suffering from sciatica, this is an effective alternative. Some may not be inclined to get rid of their most loved heels even if it results in less sciatic pain. The latter group might be able to benefit from a mixture of chiropractic treatment and shoe inserts for sciatica as well as high heels.

Chiropractic treatment for sciatica

Chiropractic assists in maintaining the health of the sciatic nerve by restoring the proper alignment of the spine. When the sciatic nerve has become compressed or pinched due to misalignment of the spine manipulative therapy can help correct the problem. A proper alignment allows the body to naturally repair any inflammation or irritation that causes sciatic problems.

The research suggests that chiropractic is more effective at treating this musculoskeletal problem than other treatment options. In an earlier study 60 people suffering from L5-S1 disc herniation, which resulted in unilateral lumbosacral radioculopathy were divided into 2 groups. The first group was treated through neural mobilization methods. The second group was treated with an lumbar manipulation. Six weeks after treatment the lumbar manipulation team showed greater improvement on leg pain and disability along with nerve root compress. The findings were published in European Journal of Scientific Research.

Another study, released in Manual Therapy It is clear that additional factors can affect the level of satisfaction of patients and treatment when seeking chiropractic services for leg pain due to back problems. The study found that patients appreciated the high quality of their interactions with their healthcare provider as well as the sharing of valuable details, and they noted the fact that both of these factors contributed to their levels of satisfaction and made their treatment more effective.

Helping to relieve sciatic pain using shoe inserts

It is recommended that patients use shoe inserts as a supplement to regular chiropractic treatment can alleviate sciatic pain. Shoes inserts help to fix functional or structural issues that cause the misalignment of the spine or inadequate weight distribution.

Studies have shown that shoe inserts are especially beneficial for those who have different lengths of legs. A study showed that wearing insoles that were designed to eliminate leg-length discrepancies by 70% over eight hours a day decreased the severity of subjects suffering from sciatic pain. The participants also reported a decrease in lower back discomfort, better physical performance and a lower chance of taking sick leave in the next year.

Tips for a better shoe for quality of life for the sciatic nerve

If you have a patient suffering caused by sciatica and high heels keeping the heel’s height less than 2 inches may help. The shoe must also be sized well to stop heels from moving forward, which causes the spine to adjust by shifting the body’s weight upwards in addition.

Reducing the amount of time spent in high-heeled shoes can be beneficial. It is possible to wear lower heels for trips between home and work, or for running errands keeping the heels higher the office or only during important meetings.

The kind of insole you choose to use will depend on the shoes. A heel that covers the foot could allow an entire insole, while the lighter insole or insole with just pads of the feet would be ideal for an insole that leaves the foot more exposed.