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Heel mobility and related back pain

By Back Pain, Uncategorised

Heel Mobility and related back pain

This article describes how a lack of heel mobility can have a related effect on back pain as well as other common foot and heel problems.

Basic Foot biomechanics

As the heel strikes the ground there should a relatively small inward rotation or ‘pronation’ followed a similar but greater movement of the mid foot (the arch). The force and weight is then transferred to the metatarsals before push off by the big toe and others.

Heel action as we run or walk

Causes of some common foot/heel problems

If the heel does not roll in then the mid foot has to roll further. This in turn increases the stresses through the connective tissue along the base of the foot called the plantar fascia. The lack of movement at the heel also causes greater stress through the Achilles tendon. These increased stresses over time can cause Plantar Fasciitis as well as heel spurs and tendonitis.

This extra roll of the mid-foot has been termed ‘over-pronation’ and it can lead to greater stress and force through the joint at the base of the big toe.

The body responds by laying down more bone in that area to cope with the extra force. The joint becomes larger and the toe is forced inwards forming what is commonly known as a bunion.

How can lack of movement in the heel create back pain and vice versa?

There are two perspectives to consider when looking for causes of heel and back pain.

Ground up forces. That’s to say the forces involved as the heel strikes the ground and the chain reaction of energy and movement as it passes up through the leg to the spine.

 Top down forces. That’s to say how gravity acts on our spine and pelvis and how they adapt to cope with it and the effects on the biomechanics of the hip, knee and foot

 Top Down

The weight and therefore force of our torso, head and arms is distributed through our lumbar spine and evenly distributed through our pelvis via our sacrum into our legs. To help manage this we have large lumbar vertebrae, thicker discs, strong postural muscles and a matrix of interconnected pelvis and hip muscles such as gluteal muscles and hip flexors and core abdominal muscles.

However with our increasingly sedentary lifestyles our hip flexor muscles can become more contracted and shorter. This can lead to a slight forward tilt in our pelvis.

Fig 1. Forward hip tilt causing internal roll of hips, legs and foot

                                                                   

You can see from Fig 1 how it can increase an inward movement on the upper and lower leg and ultimately encourage increased pronation in the foot. This in turn can lead to foot and lower leg problems described earlier.

 

 

 

Fig 2. Hip tilt due to shortened iliopsoas (hip flexors) and an increased arch (lordosis) of the lower back

Also this can lead to tighter lower back muscles (see Fig 2) and increase the risk of lower back pain.

Ground up

As the heel strikes the ground it is designed to roll inwards. This is called pronation and it is totally natural. The mid foot follows followed by flexion of the toes and especially the big toe.

This inwards roll of the heel bone initiates a subsequent inwards rotation of the lower leg then the upper leg and eventually the hip. It is the inner rotation of the upper femur and hip that gives the gluteal muscle the cue to contract and extend the hip, propelling the body forward to the next step.

Chain reaction

So that first small inwards roll of the heel starts a chain of events culminating in the contraction of the most powerful muscle in the body. However if that inwards roll doesn’t happen then ultimately the gluteal muscle does not contract as efficiently and the lower back postural muscles become involved as they help out the hip to make the next step. That is on top of the job they already have providing stability and mobility to the lumbar vertebrae. A recipe for over work and fatigue of the lower back muscles and ultimately back pain.

Why does the heel become less mobile?

Tight calf muscles can be one cause of restriction of movement into the Achilles tendon which in turn attaches to the heel.

Achilles tendon attaches to heel bone (calcaneus)

A reduced mobility of the calf muscle can be due to a number of reasons. Here are some.

Increased weight: As we get older increase in weight can go onto our tummies. This in turn can change our centre of gravity and bring it slightly forward. Our calf muscles get involved helping to pull us backwards and maintain our balance and CoG over our mid point.

Sports: such as cycling that put a greater load through the calf muscle and in one direction can lead to tight calf muscles

Shoes: that elevate our heels can cause a shortening of our calf muscles. Research has also shown that there is a correlation between high heeled shoes worn and Bunions. The foot is placed in extreme flexion and forces are compressed at the base of the big toes.

A lack of heel movement can also be due to previous ankle injuries: significant ligament strains and fractures can lead to a lack of movement between the joints in our ankles and the heel bone. This in turn can lead to increased load on the calf muscles and tendons.

Implications for effective treatment

In order to effectively treat foot pain and injuries from calf through to big toe Hugo assesses all aspects of the foot, leg, hips and lower back. Evaluation their mobility and ability to move as part of a chain reaction of events.

Sports injury rehab in Kingston and Surbiton

Sports injury rehab in Kingston and Surbiton

Likewise if back pain is the symptom Hugo will always assess foot and hip movement as part of the process and treat accordingly.

Hugo uses 3D Functional movement exercise as integral part of his treatment to help enhance the movement of joints and muscles and combines this with Osteopathy treatment to improve tissue health and return you back to pain free movement as quickly as possible.

Lower back pain prevention

A Different Approach to Prevent Lower Back Pain

By Back Pain, Osteopathy, Prevention

If you suffer from recurring back pain and your focus on strengthening your core doesn’t seem to work then perhaps it is time to take a different approach to prevent your lower back pain from recurring.

For at least the last 20 years there has been a focus on advising people to strengthen their core stability muscles that in turn  will prevent back pain. However the research to support this is thin at best. Much of the research has been carried out on small non representative samples (1). When the samples are representative then whilst some short term benefits can be found no long term benefits (over 6 months) can be seen (2) in back pain prevention. Alternatively it was found that core stability rehab is no more effective than general exercise (3).

Does the following scenario sound familiar? 

I hear this quite frequently from my patients.

A patient has experienced back pain and through their physical therapist they have been given a series of cores stability exercises. Such as ‘The bridge’, the ‘1 legged bridge’, ‘the plank’, ‘superman’ etc. The patient has done them frequently and noted increased muscle tone and an ability to do the exercises for longer or more frequently. However 6-12 months later they have a recurrence of their back pain.The patients blame themselves for not doing the exercises correctly or not frequently enough. Wait for the pain to subside, perhaps receive some treatment then carry on with the same exercises.

If you can relate to this then may be it’s time to take a different approach. After all Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different outcome!

What’s the thinking behind Core stability exercises?

In essence the theory is by activating your core stability muscles such transverse obliques, rectus abdominus, pelvic floor, internal and external obliques, diaphragm you can help support the lumbar spine and so help reduce its work load. However if the research is right and there is a lack of effectiveness then perhaps we need to ask the question ‘Why can’t our backs cope with the work load in the first place?’And – “Why does it need extra support?”

An Alternative approach

I would argue that the area of your spine that is in pain is a result of it trying to cope with extra work load because other parts of the spine or body are not moving as well as they should.

The body has this amazing ability to adapt and deal with reduced function in one part of the body to maintain our overall function. The spine is a key part of this.

24 interlinking segments that act liked a coiled spring. If a section of the coil stops moving then the sections above and below move more to ensure our bodies can achieve the movement we require. It’s this extra movement of muscles and joints that over time can lead to muscle fatigue and joint inflammation. These are two main symptoms of lower mechanical back pain.

Address the causes through treatment and rehab

Of all the hundreds of patients that I have seen through my practice with lower back pain the common factors are reduced mobility in the upper back and shoulders and reduced mobility in the pelvis and hips.

Coincidentally these are the two main areas of our body that we keep static for long periods of time every day of the week!

Our sedentary lifestyles reduce our mobility

It is this lack of movement in these two areas that can cause us lower back pain pain in the long term.

A different approach to prevent back pain

upper back stiffness can contribute to lower back pain

We sit at our desk, shoulders forward, fingers ready to type on our key boards, heads forward, upper back arched. Our hips flexed. Sometimes for hours at a time.

Our bodies take these inputs as a desired position and start to adapt accordingly. The body is always looking for efficiencies to reduce energy expenditure. So it reduces blood supply to muscles. Joints stop moving so nerves receive less innervation.

Muscles in our upper backs become fibrotic and joints become less mobile.

We do this day in day out for up to 8 hrs a day for months and even years! Then we go home and watch TV or use our laptops at home, or alternatively try and get the stress of our work out the system and go cycling and assume the exact same position. Or we go to the gym and contract the same muscles that were contracted at our desks (our pectorals and biceps and hip flexors)

Implications for our Lower back 

If the middle section of our spine can no longer rotate or bend forward as much as it used to do then the lower back (the lumbar spine) will have to move more to ensure that there is no reduction in functional ability and range of movement.

Likewise if we cannot rotate from the hip or our hips are flexed forwards because our hip flexors are permanently contracted from all the sitting down we do then our lower back muscles become more involved in simple daily activities such as walking and standing.

Our bodies make these adaptations without us being aware of them. Day in day out for months and years.

Then add in the role that the lower back was designed for and the wear and tear that can take place without this extra work load and you can start to see why an upper back or hip that can’t move optimally can help increase the risk of fatigue, strain and ultimately, injury in the lower spine.

How can you help?

# Change the inputs in your upper back

From a static 8 hrs. Stop every 30-45 mins and make your upper back and shoulders move. Your body will respond by increasing blood supply. Muscles will change to become more flexible. Joints and innervation inputs will increase.

Here is a simple exercise you can do at work whilst sitting down to start changing the inputs. Do it every 45-60 minutes that you are at your desk. Your colleagues might think you are mad at first but soon they will all start doing it! It really works.

# Change the inputs to our hips and pelvis

We need to reduce the tightness in our hip flexors that builds up over time as we sit at our desk, cars, TV, dinner table and on our bikes . Here is a really effective exercise to do just that.

Do it daily am and pm 10-15x. Include it into any activity warm ups and warm downs too. Especially after cycling or running.

Next we need to improve the mobility and rotation of the hip as well as activating the gluteals and hamstrings.

This exercise combines hip flexion stretches with hip rotation.  Do it am and pm 10-15x for each exercise.  These exercises should all be pain free so if you experience pain after or during then just stop and consult your professional physical therapist. For access to more exercises to improve hip mobility go to Resources

To Conclude

If you have been doing your core stability exercises and you have had no recurrence of lower back pain, then please continue but consider if you are really addressing the cause. With our increasingly sedentary lifestyles we are placing increasing work load on our lower backs due to a lack of mobility above and below in our upper backs and hips. So if you are doing core stability exercises then add hip and upper back mobility exercises into the mix. If you are not doing any exercise then start to work on hip and upper back mobility with the above exercises. The exercises should always be pain free. Click here For more advice on how Hugo treats back pain

References

(1)Stuber KJ1Bruno PSajko SHayden JAClin J Sport Med. 2014 Nov;24(6):448-56. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000081.Core stability exercises for low back pain in athletes: a systematic review of the literature.

(2) Xue-Qiang Wang,1 Jie-Jiao Zheng,2,* Zhuo-Wei Yu,2 et al. Public Library of Science. 2012; 7(12): e52082.Published online 2012 Dec 17. doi:  1371/journal.pone.0052082A Meta-Analysis of Core Stability Exercise versus General Exercise for Chronic Low Back Pain

(3)George SZ1, Childs JDTeyhen DSWu SSWright ACDugan JLRobinson MEBMC Med. 2011 Nov 29;9:128. doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-9-128.Brief psychosocial education, not core stabilization, reduced incidence of low back pain: results from the Prevention of Low Back Pain in the Military (POLM) cluster randomized trial.

 

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Antidote to sun lounger back pain

By Back Pain, Osteopathy, Prevention

Is your back feeling bit worse after the summer? Here’s a possible antidote.

If like many of us this Summer involved long car drives, traffic jams, some cycling and may be some sun lounger action then your hip flexors could now be tighter than normal. These muscles help us bend forwards at the hip. But tighter Hip flexors and in particular Psoas and Iliopsoas can lead to lower back pain.

How?

Tight Psoas can cause back pain

Tight Psoas causes reduced movement in lumbar spine

If you have been sitting for long periods of time either in the car, on your bike or with your feet up on a sun lounger (lucky you!) or at your desk (not so lucky!) then your hip flexors become tighter.

This would normally cause your body to lean forwards. However your body adapts to ensure you are standing up straight by contracting your postural muscles in your lumbar spine (lower back). This can lead to greater pressure on your lower vertebrae and the associated facet joints as the muscles attached to them tighten up. The extra work load on the postural muscles can lead to strains and spasms. Back pain!

How to help Yourself

The antidote to this is to start a concerted exercise to stretch these hip flexor muscles out from their contracted state. As you can see from the image below the Psoas originates from the lumbar vertebrae in the lower back and connects to inside of the femur (thigh bone).

Tight psoas can be a cause of back pain

Psoas helps flex hips

So any exercise must work the muscles fibres that run vertically and those that go at an angle to attach to the femur. This exercise does just that and so is very effective.

 

 

 

 

The Hip Flexor exercise

The key to this exercise is that it is what’s termed dynamic. It is a movement rather than a static stretch. Research has shown that the body responds better to dynamic movement based exercise designed to increase range of movement than static stretches. It makes sense. Our bodies were designed to move not hold static poses and so our muscles are designed to adapt to movement.

Important points to note

At no point in the exercise is the stretch held as a static stretch

Your hips move forward to dynamically stretch the vertical muscles fibres

Your arm comes up and you bend to the side to dynamically stretch the muscle fibres that attach into your femur.

Do not arch your back in an attempt to gain a greater ‘stretch’ sensation.  This can make the muscles in your lower back even tighter and put more pressure on the lumbar vertebrae. Just push forward with your hips.

Repeat the movement 10-15x am and pm daily for best results. Incorporate it into exercise warm up and warm downs too.

It should be a pain free exercise. If you experience pain just stop and contact your Osteopath or other professional physical therapist.

For more information on this exercise and how Hugo can help you return you to your personal best call  0208 226 3767.

Sciatic pain During Pregnancy? Help is at Hand

By Back Pain, Pregnancy, Uncategorised

Reducing Sciatic pain during pregnancy

If you are suffering from Sciatic pain during pregnancy then help is at hand. Often in the third trimester of pregnancy you can start to feel pain into the gluteal (buttock ) area and it can travel down the back of the leg and can go into the calf.

As the pregnancy progresses and the extra weight at the front continues to increase,  the pain down the bacpregnancy and sciatic paink of the leg can increase from occasionally uncomfortable to very painful.

Pain Killers are not recommended so what can you do?

You may think that there is no other option than to look up some stretches on Google and hope for the best!

Why does Sciatica occur?

The cause of sciatic pain in pregnancy is most often due to overworked muscles close by the sciatic nerve that runs from your lower back down through the buttock area and down each leg. As ligaments become increasingly relaxed, ready for the birth, your muscles have to work harder in your pelvis and hips to provide you with stability in that area. This often coincides with a slight rotation of the pelvis either to the right or the left. This could have been a pre existing rotation prior to the pregnancy or occurred during it as the body manages the extra weight. This causes one set of pelvic muscles  to become slightly shorter and contracted on one side and on the other side they become slightly stretched and overworked. Over time this leads to inflammation of the overworked muscles and pressure on the sciatic nerve leading to the term Sciatica.

What can you do to calm it down?

As an osteopath my aim is to improve the health of the tissues, in this case, the muscles on the overworked side and to address the structural changes, the rotation.  I improve the health of the tissues on the side of the sciatic symptoms by improving the circulation through soft tissue massage and sometimes Medical Acupuncture. The structural change, the rotation, on the opposite pain free side, I address through Therapeutic Functional exercise. I tailor the exercises to the patient but one of exercise that forms the basis is this exercise.

 Outcomes

Patients normally report a reduction in symptoms with 3-4 days after the initial treatment. After one follow up session and patients continuing to do the exercises as prescribed for a further 7 days, and patients report that the symptoms significantly reduce to just an occasional ‘niggle’.

I had experienced Sciatica occasionally with my previous two pregnancies with my previous children and it normally went with rest. However this time it was just getting worse and worse. I couldn't stand, sit or walk for any length of time. Rest wasn't working!

I saw Hugo and he explained why it was happening. He gave me some specific exercises to do on the opposite side of the pain. He also gave me some acupuncture and massaged the muscles which was quite painful but it felt like it was helping. After 3 days I could feel the difference. One more treatment and doing the exercises religiously for approx 7 days and my Sciatica had all but gone. I can't recommend Hugo enough. If you are pregnant and experiencing sciatic pain don't suffer, go and see him.

Libby, Mum of two soon to be three!

The role of Gluteals in Back Pain or running a PB

By Back Pain, Osteopathy, Prevention

 

From  Back Pain to running a PB – effective Gluteals are an important factor

If you suffer from back pain , even infrequently, or you’re aiming for a personal best for your next race or training harder for your chosen sport whether it be running, rugby, football, tennis, swimming, cycling, skiing or golf.. the strength and effectiveness of your Gluteals will be a factor. Read More

Is “Getting Fitter” a perennial New Year’s Resolution

By Back Pain, Prevention

Getting Fitter? A perennial New Year resolution?

Help and advice is at hand.

If your New Year’s resolution is to get fitter, faster, stronger or to be more active then hopefully this advice will help you achieve your goals.

Normally in January and February my Sports Clinic starts to see a steady rise of people who have taken up an activity, sports or increased the frequency of their chosen activity as they achieve New Year’s resolutions or may be just a promise to themselves to get fitter.

The most common is a recurring pain or old injury that has flared up or new aches and pain in neck, shoulder upper or lower back. Read More

Poor posture at work and its impact on our bodies

By Back Pain
Poor ergonomics at work can lead to back pain

Poor ergonomics at work can lead to back pain

What do we mean by posture?

In effect we have two posture states. Active and Passive. Active posture is when you are controlling your muscles actively to achieve a certain position. Over time the body can ‘learn’ the posture and it can be assumed very easily without much thought. Dancers for example learn a posture as do horse riders.
Passive posture is when the body naturally assumes a position of ease. A person’s standing posture or sitting posture is the one that the body naturally goes to. However because the human body has an amazing ability to adapt to its surroundings so our posture can adapt over time to lifestyle conditions we find ourselves in.
Athletes have different postures to hairdressers, builders or office workers.
It is this adaptability of posture based on our surroundings that can cause us problems. As we work at desks, in front of computers, typing, answering the phone for hours at a time our posture changes to adapt to these activities.

Read More