Research Proves Effectiveness of Shoe Inserts
Over the years, the effectiveness of the use of shoe inserts in treating lower back pain and other medical conditions has remained controversial. However, a study conducted in December 2013 found that lower back pain is associated with foot problems. I have been using my Hydrofeet® massaging insoles for a while to treat foot and back pain and this propelled me to do personal research on foot orthoses.
There was a systematic review of relevant studies in 2013, but the findings that included shoe inserts as one of the treatment modes to relieve back pain could not be established. This was because of the small number of trial participants. A large number of participants would have probably bolstered the conclusion of the studies.
Another study was conducted during the same time but yielded positive results: foot orthoses indeed play a role in the treatment of lower back pain. The conclusion of this study was accepted as this involved a large sample of 1,930 participants.
There was also an earlier study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in 2011. The study recruited 50 participants who reported a history of chronic lower back pain. The treatment group was given foot orthotics, while the control group received none. Both groups were tested for improvement in pain scores and disability levels. At the end of six (6) weeks, the treatment group showed a significant improvement in both pain score and disability level versus the control group.
A similar study was again published in 2013 and this involved 62 participants with chronic low back pain from work-related injury. The participants were divided into two groups; the first group received usual care (prescription analgesics and therapy) for six (6) weeks while the second group received the usual care and foot orthotics. By the eighth week, the group that received both usual care and foot orthotics showed greater improvements than the group which received usual care alone.
Given the aforementioned studies and findings, we can conclude that there are several clinical evidence that prove the effectiveness of foot orthoses in the treatment of chronic low back pain. And if you want to get more than what regular shoe inserts have to offer, you have to try Hydrofeet® shoe insoles for women and men.
