12 million days are lost every year due to back pain. [Unison]
This might be shocking, but if you’re one of the 5,280,000 UK workers who suffer from back pain, it won’t come as a surprise. Back pain can be debilitating and have a huge effect on your well-being and productivity.
So, can work boots cause back pain? Well, if they’re the wrong pair, yes they can. That’s why in this blog, we’ll be focussing on how the right pair of safety boots can protect not just your feet, but your back too.
We’ll also discuss how reducing back pain with safety footwear doesn’t happen with a single feature or quick fix. As you’ll see, for maximum health and safety, all aspects of your safety footwear should make up the solution to pain and discomfort.
What have safety boots got to do with the back?
Issues with the feet can have a ripple effect on the rest of the body, so when the wrong safety boots are worn, whether that’s a bad fit, insufficient support or cushioning, or if the wrong footwear for your working environment is being worn, this can have a knock-on effect on posture and gait, leading to strain and pain in the back. This domino effect is called the lower kinetic chain – the interlinking network of joints starting at the toe leading right up to the spine. Short-term it can be a minor pain, but think about what may happen long-term should you ignore these warning pains.
How your work boots can help
Solution 1: the right fit
Proper fit is essential to ensure your boots provide the right support throughout the workday. Ill-fitting boots – particularly boots that are too tight - contribute to back pain because they can cause you to change your posture and the way you walk - your gait.
Also, if you’re wearing overly tight boots, it can cause over pronation, which occurs when a person places their weight on the inside of their foot, making the foot roll inward. (see image)
Overtime, this pressure can turn the knees inward ('knocked kneed') and this creates poor hip posture and can impact the spine. While these joints and bone structures seem separate from the feet, they are all linked, and if one moves in an unnatural way, there can be a significant impact on the others. Think of your entire body’s alignment and where it all starts...your feet.
This is why V12’s entire range is built on a last which reflects male and female global foot shapes, so our footwear reflects both wider and narrower feet, contouring and cradling foot structures correctly.
Why are some foot shapes narrow and some wide? Find out here.
Solution 2: the right size
There are many factors that cause people to wear the wrong size work boots – and the effects can be similar to the point mentioned above: foot pain and discomfort can travel upwards and create far bigger problems.
Want to find out how people get their foot size and shoe size misaligned? Head to this blog and check – it could make all the difference.
Solution 3: the right arch support
The arches of our feet act as natural shock absorbers, providing weight distribution and stability. When the arches aren’t properly supported, it can lead to an imbalance in the body, and this causes strain and pain in the feet and on the back muscles and spine. But many people overlook this feature within footwear, because – as with foot size – we don’t all have the same arch height! Do you know yours?
Watch below to find out how your arch type could impact the bones higher up in your body.
A high-quality dynamic insole will promote proper alignment and reduce stress on the spine.
V12’s Dynamic ArchTM insoles have been designed with bespoke male and female arch support, so whether you have flat, medium or high arches, their open-cell foam ensures proper joint alignment, giving a comfortable and supportive foundation for feet, knees, hips and back.
Solution 4: the right shock absorption
If you're like many safety boot wearers who walk up to 7 miles a day - often on hard floors - if your boots have inadequate shock absorption, they will fail to cushion this frequent impact. As a result, the shock can travel up the legs and spine, causing big forces that lead to back pain.
Here, cushioning insoles like Dynamic ArchTM will help, but your boot should have a sole unit with similar shock-absorbing capabilities. Take our IGSTM sole unit – along with outstanding grip, we’ve designed it with a shock-absorbing structure and a comfort heel pod to ensure wearers get ultimate support. Find out more about the IGSTM here.
Making the right choice for your body
While there are many precautions you can take to reduce back pain in the workplace such as manual handling training, guidance on posture and workstation design, this blog illustrates how wearing the right footwear can play a significant role in this solution.
And when discussing the importance of features such as dynamic insoles and shock-absorbing material, plus finding the right size and design to give you the best fit, it reminds us that the solution to pain and discomfort lies in every aspect of a piece of footwear.
So now you know how the wrong safety footwear can contribute to strain on the back as well as the feet – but it’s a pain you shouldn’t have to put up with. We’ve built our footwear to safeguard your overall musculoskeletal health, so head over to our boot finder to reveal your perfect boot: you can trust that whichever style you chose, it’ll protect your feet, and a whole lot more.
