Flat feet can cause lower back pain in women

The shape of women’s feet may contribute to their risk of lower back pain, says research published in Rheumatology.

A large US study of 1,930 women and men found that women who walk with flat feet were 50% more likely than those with normal or high arches to experience lower back pain. But the same relationship didn’t exist for men.

Feet that roll inwards when a person walks are thought to lead to back pain because the body uses other muscles to compensate.

The researchers suggest that only women are affected by flat feet in this way because they tend to have wider and less flexible pelvic bones than men and because they rotate their hips and move their upper bodies more than men when they walk.

“The arches of the feet allow the weight of the body to be spread over many bones and joints and this structure can change when it’s affected by arthritis,” says a spokesperson from Arthritis Research UK.  “It’s already known that lower arches can be linked to leg problems, particularly knee pain, and some people find arch supports or orthoses to be helpful.”