As Chiropractors the majority of our patients present to clinic with back pain. As frequent as this may be, the causes of back pain are numerous and variable and must be thoroughly assessed to determine the root cause in each individual.

As part of routine assessments at Espina Chiropractic Clinic gait analysis is performed to assess the biomechanical function of the foot and analyse the exact angle of pronation. Quite often lumbosacral pain can be caused by simple muscular tightness in the lower region of the back as a result of having an excessively pronated foot. In over-pronation the feet become misaligned and when combined with poor posture roll inwards to gain ground contact leading to flattended medial arches. Excessive pronation of the feet can cause the knees to internally rotate and in turn can lead to an anterior tilt of the pelvis bringing the body’s centre of gravity slightly foward. This results in poor posture with abnormal compensatory muscle tightness and pain in the lumbosacral region of the back.

At Espina Chiropractic Clinic our Wantage Chiropractor will assess your gait and may suggest the need for orthotics as a possible treatment option. The orthotics will help to improve the body’s posture and reduce the muscle tightness and pain in the lumbosacral region by controlling excess pronation of the feet, limiting internal rotation of the knees and subsequently limiting anterior tilt of the pelvis.

In addition to using orthotics it is important to maintain good posture when sitting for long periods of time. Strengthening exercises for core muscles, Chiropractic care and soft tissue therapy are also recommended to ensure you gain full benefit from the use of orthotics for the treatment of low back pain.