You are probably completely unaware of the fact that people who have had lower back pain for many years could very well be advised to consult a podiatrist. You probably think, ‘that’s crazy, podiatrists treat feet not backs’. Well yes, they do, but podiatry can and does provide relief if you are experiencing lower back pain. The reason podiatry works is because the science of podiatry works with the positioning of the feet. When you walk you produce a chain reaction throughout the body, including the lower back, and frequently back pain can be caused by the misalignment of your feet. So, if you know of anyone who has suffered back pain over a period of time, without having experienced a specific accident to cause this, consider the very plausible option of consulting a podiatrist.

A podiatrist is a health professional specialised in lower limb biomechanics and they can assess and treat these misalignments with a variety of orthotic treatment options. Obviously, quite apart from visiting your podiatrist with back problems, you would be well advised to make an appointment anyway for what is known as a Biomechanical assessment. A Foot Mechanics podiatrist will put you through a series of tests including a non-weight bearing assessment of joint range movement muscle testing, an assessment of your posture and a gait analysis and a plantar pressure measurement to allow the podiatrist to actually see the forces under your feet as you stand and walk or run. This assessment is available to you if you have knee or shin pain, ankle or Achilles pain, heel, arch or forefoot pain, all of these can be assessed and treated at a Foot Mechanics clinic.

You may be an ultra-fit runner or athlete or you may be retired and just wanting to walk for fitness and good health. No matter at what stage of your life you are at, you cannot go wrong by visiting a Foot Mechanics podiatrist – you are sure to walk out feeling so much better than when you went in. The good news is that there are Foot Mechanic clinics all over Auckland, Bay of Plenty/Taupo, Waikato and Palmerston North. So why not go to their website today at www.footmechanics.com to find your nearest foot care clinic. It really is as easy as that and it could change your life.