Trainers are as good as rocker sole shoes for helping lower back pain

Rocker sole shoes, often used to help treat people with lower back pain, are no more effective than trainers, says research published in Spine. And trainers seem to be more beneficial for those with back pain aggravated by standing or walking.

A total of 115 people with chronic lower back pain were asked to wear either rocker sole shoes or trainers for at least two hours a day. Everyone attended an exercise and education programme once a week for four weeks and wore their assigned shoes during the sessions.

Assessment at six weeks, six months and one year showed that rocker sole shoes were no more effective than trainers in relieving pain levels. In fact, 31% of those wearing the rocker sole shoes experienced a minimal clinically important improvement in disability after six months, compared to 53% of those wearing trainers.

And trainers seemed to be more beneficial for those with back pain aggravated by standing or walking.

“Manufacturers claim that the unstable curved sole can positively influence mechanisms associated with chronic lower back pain, such as poor balance, substandard muscle function, poor posture, and reduced ability to absorb shock while walking,” explains Dr Sian MacRae, who led the work. “However, there is no evidence in the literature supporting these claims.

“On the basis of the findings of this randomised clinical trial, clinicians should be confident in advising patients with chronic lower back pain that wearing either rocker sole shoes or trainers may offer similar outcomes in disability and pain. However, if a patient reports lower back pain when standing or walking, it may be more beneficial to wear trainers than rocker sole shoes.”