Your feet move you through the world. Their role in the body is crucial and they can take a beating. Sometimes, foot pain is provoked by wearing the wrong shoe or by arthritis. But sometimes, your foot pain originates in the spine.
Could your foot pain be caused by a problem in your spine? This post examines some of the reasons that may well be the case.
Possible causes
The sciatic nerve is the largest in the body. Originating in the lumbar spine, it splits and travels down the back of both legs and may caused pain in the lower extremities, including the foot.
Compression of the sciatic nerve at its root in the lumbar spine can be caused by several underlying conditions. Sciatica can be a symptom of a serious problem in the spine which requires attention. Causes can be degeneration in the discs, herniation, spondylolisthesis, or stenosis in the lumbar vertebrae.
Nerve pain in the foot
Your foot has its own nerve agenda, so the pain you’re experiencing may be caused by an issue originating in the foot itself.
Footwear is a major cause of nerve pain localized in the foot. If your shoes are the wrong size, you may experience a burning sensation or something like an electric shock-like pain.
High heels are popular culprits of nerve pain in the foot. They may look beautiful, but they’re anything but foot (and spine) friendly. I hate to nag, but these are the facts.
Corns are another source of nerve irritation. Corns are hard protrusions which can place pressure on adjacent nerves. Of course, these are usually caused by the wrong shoes, developing over time due to friction.
Finally, Morton’s neuroma (a thickening of tissue which irritates adjacent nerves), may be the cause of pain in the foot.
Tell-tale signs
Foot pain is something to take very seriously. You need those feet to be happy so they can continue serving your ongoing mobility.
You also need to determine if the pain you’re having originates in the spine, via the lumbar nerve. There are some symptoms which may point to this, including difficulty in flexing the foot upward and needing to walk on your toes to avoid the pain.
Probably the strongest indication of a spinal problem being the cause of foot pain is pain on only one side of the body. If only one of your feet is affected, that may be the case. The exceptions to that rule are stenosis or spondylolisthesis, which can give rise to pain in both feet and in the legs.
Getting diagnosed
To get to the root cause of your foot pain, a medical diagnosis is required. If any of the symptoms above describe the pain you’re experiencing, it’s crucial that you visit a medical professional as soon as possible.
At Back & Body Medical, we’re pain relief specialists working as a team, offering chiropractic, sports medicine, physical therapy and acupuncture.
Contact us for multi-disciplinarian pain relief that’s won awards because it’s effective.
