Lower back pain can be caused by the way you walk. Some people have a gait that may result in abnormal stress to the hip and spine. People who have a weak abdomen or poor posture are also more prone to low back pain. Our chiropractor in West Vancouver would usually suggest various strengthening and flexibility exercises as an ongoing preventative activity. Exercises such as water therapy, which comprises aqua-jogging or deep-water aerobics, are also good ideas as they are buoyant and non-weight bearing. Regardless of what activities are suggested, a careful evaluation of the hip, lower limbs, and even the feet is an excellent start to rule in and rule out the cause of low back pain.
The actual cause of lower back pain can be challenging to diagnose. That is why our West Vancouver Chiropractor will start with a proper exam and evaluation to find the cause of your lower back pain. If the cause of the back pain is determined, then a targeted treatment plan can be established to help you.
Walking is something we do daily, which surpasses any other form of physical activity. The way you walk has a huge impact on the rest of your body, including the spine, hips, and even your neck and shoulders. Here are some reasons why your lower back hurts as you walk, along with treatment and home remedies.
Did You Know That You Might Walk Over a Million Steps in a Year?
Walking interacts with many parts of the body to create a particular gait. Most of this structural pain is caused when your six weight-bearing joints are not in alignment with each other. A lot of wear and tear can be made to your back, nerves, muscles, and joints if you have poor biomechanics when your walk. This minor pain can further cause early onset of arthritis if not resolved in time.
Most people get back pain due to insufficient strength, especially in the abdominal and glute muscles. The abdominal and glute muscles, combined with other muscles, are responsible for keeping the pelvis in place. If there is an imbalance or weakness in these muscles, it can cause the pelvis to shift and rotate forwards or backward, resulting in a pelvic misalignment.
My Lower Back Hurts When I Walk
Your lower back and hips need to be in a proper biomechanically aligned position to avoid pain. The pelvis, sacrum, and lower spine are the main foundation that balances and supports the rest of the body. The pelvic and sacral joints need to move smoothly within their normal ranges of movement. Each vertebra is also supported and separated by discs filled with a jelly-like substance that can be damaged over time if your spine is not supported and aligned correctly. And as you age, there is the possibility of deterioration between each vertebra.
An incorrect gait, misaligned pelvis, and weak muscles can put a lot of stress on your back and the ligaments, tendons, and structures around it. Over time, this creates a lot of wear and tear on those joints. This abnormal stress to the joints will eventually result in pain and the onset of osteoarthritis in the spine and pelvis. When you walk, the initial pain you get is just the body’s way of telling you that something is not right. Listen to it and give our Chiropractor in West Vancouver a call to have it checked out sooner rather than later.
Causes of Low Back Pain
1. Stress
The lower back supports the upper part of your body and therefore needs to be strong yet flexible at all times. It can also be the center of mechanical stress if it is dysfunctional. As you expose your body to repetitive use under stress, the muscles that are already tight cannot get a chance to rest and heal. Other structures around it, like the joints, ligaments, and tendons, also undergo prolonged tension. Invariably this will create tension and stiffness that can cause pain and aches in the lower back. Do it long enough, and it becomes a chronic case of low back pain.
2. Being Overweight
Obesity or extra weight on the body will result in undue stress on the joints and surrounding tissue. The vertebral facet joints are mostly affected. These joints help the body to be flexible and able to turn or twist. Constant loading of the spine and other joints in your hips and legs will also add to the wear and tear. Not only do the discs have to support your spine, but they also need to bear the additional weight, which again leads to abnormal stress to the joints and spine. The more your walk with being overweight, your spine and hips take the brunt of the stress, which will lead to back pain.
3. Poor Posture
Having the proper posture is the beginning of relief from lower back pain. A poor posture adds additional stress to your back, altering your anatomy and the way your walk, resulting in pain in your lower back. Walking with even a slightly rotated pelvis or spine will result in low back pain. Poor biomechanics when walking will place undue stress on joints and muscles that are not designed to carry that kind of load repetitively. Knee and hip pain will invariably accompany your low back pain.
4. Sedentary Lifestyle
Idleness and inactivity can result in a condition known as Disuse Syndrome. An inactive lifestyle for a long time will cause your musculoskeletal system to weaken. Inactivity can cause chronic lower back pain, which can also lead to other ailments. Over time, the primary muscles to help you walk will be weak and unable to support even a simple activity such as walking. Weak core muscles, glutes, short and tight hamstrings, and hip flexors are the leading causes of low back pain. Our biggest muscles are in the lower part of our body. Not using them for what they are designed for, such as walking, will result in atrophy and weakness to your glutes and legs. Over time, they will not be able to support your upper body well, and structures such as your back muscles have to work harder to compensate. The result is a stiff and sore back.
5. Uncomfortable Mattress
Chronic lower back pain can also be a result of your mattress. Especially if you bought your mattress without considering your body type or you have been using the same mattress for a long time. When purchasing a mattress, you should consider your weight and other factors that can alter your sleeping position. It is recommended to buy a mattress that is intended to support the spinal cord. In fact, if your mattress is not able to offer your proper support when you’re sleeping, then your muscles have to take over that job. You’ll be stiff and sore the following day, and that will make walking and going about your daily tasks quite painful for your low back as well.
Treatment of Low Back Pain
Different treatments have been researched and seen fit to relieve lower back pain. As in any medical condition, a thorough evaluation and exam should be done before deciding on a treatment protocol. As a Chiropractor here in West Vancouver, we take the time to do a proper exam with each new patient or new condition of back pain. Every patient and their back pain is treated differently. There is no cookie-cutter approach when dealing with low back pain conditions. So many types of causes and conditions will result in back pain, and therefore, a proper diagnosis must be made before we can treat you.
If it is determined that the cause of your low back pain is a result of the way you are walking, then we will give you a checklist of exercises to relieve you of this pain after treatment. These exercises are designed in stages to make sure the weak muscles are involved and not overworked too early. They need time to build up strength and endurance. You will be shown how to perform these exercises at home. Other treatments may also include Shockwave Therapy and/or mobilization to allow the joints involved to release and regain their full range of motion.
Your gait will also be examined and considered a factor to determine if you need proper footwear or custom orthotics. Pronation tends to be common in your later years, and that will also affect the way your walk and thus bring on low back pain as well.
Heat therapy can also be added to the physical exercise issued by the doctor. The 15-30 minute heat therapy will stimulate your muscles, causing relaxation and increased blood flow. This heat therapy will allow healing to take place in those injured areas of your back.
How to Prevent Low Back Pain
Prevention is probably the best way to avoid getting low back pain. Here are a few simple and easy suggestions that will offer you a fix to most of your common back pain complaints:
1. Steer clear of wearing high heels
High heels are lovely to look at but not practical footwear to walk in. They can easily affect your gait, change the structure of your pelvis and spine and cause uneven stress to parts of your feet. When wearing high-heeled shoes, your spine and hip angles are altered, leading to uneven wear and tear on the hips and vertebral joints over time. These shoes can also damage the supporting ligaments of the feet and hips. Perhaps wearing high-heeled shoes wherein you can sit often is not a bad thing but avoid it at all cost if you have to walk or stand for long periods.
2. Use Orthotics
Orthotics and shoes with built-in orthotics are intended to provide support, balance, and maintain a normal alignment of your feet. They are most often used with patients suffering from foot conditions such as overpronation, plantar fasciitis, or bunions. Improper gait is also a common cause of low back pain. The supportive chain starts at your feet and works its way up to your spine. The knees, hips, and spine will compensate for any changes to normal gait patterns. This abnormal gait pattern can be manifested later on with symptoms of low back pain. It’s surprising what a difference is wearing orthotics can make in alleviating low back pain.
3. Exercise and Stretching
Simple and specific exercises and stretches can easily lower the chances or relieve you of low back pain. For a helpful guide on starting an exercise or stretching plan, you can check in with our West Vancouver Chiropractor to get recommendations. Flexibility and strength go hand in hand in helping you be active without suffering injuries and pain. Since most of the primary movers are muscles that affect the way you walk also support your hips and low back, it makes sense to make sure they are strong and flexible in allowing you to have an active and pain-free lifestyle. Remember to stretch those same muscles after your workouts so they don’t remain tight and short.
4. Mind Your Posture
Be sure to have a normal and proper posture when walking. Take time to develop a good walking posture. You can start by walking straight and deter from walking with your shoulders down. Your chest should be set forward while your weight is focused on your heels and the balls of your feet. Try to also keep your shoulders back when walking. An easy way to maintain a proper posture when walking is to make sure your gaze is level and slightly above the horizon.
5. Lose Some Weight
As stated earlier, your body feels more weight than you think. And most of this weight is felt in your lower back and hips, the center of the spine. The base of your spine takes on the full load of the upper part of your body; thus, most of the wear and tear of the spine happens there. Most of us will end up with some degree of osteoarthritis in our hips and low back when we get older, so let’s not accelerate that process too early with excess weight. Not only will the joints in your feet, ankles, and knees get relief but losing some weight goes a long way in helping you age your low back prematurely.
On a Final Note…
If you are facing low back pain challenges, we’re here to help. Give our West Vancouver Chiropractor a call, and we can offer you solutions to help you relieve your low back pain when walking. Sometimes it’s as easy as changing the way you walk or even looking at your feet instead. Perhaps a new pair of shoes or orthotics is the simple solution. Regardless, listen to your body and know it’s trying to tell you that something needs to change. You don’t have to walk with back pain anymore.
