Research Summary by Louis Ellery
Association with low back & lower limb injury risk
Individuals with flat feet or excessive foot pronation showed significantly elevated risk for low back pain compared to those with normal foot arch structure. Over 100,000 participants were studied.
The research identified moderate-to-limited evidence linking increased hip internal rotation and knee internal rotation with low back pain development.
Many studies examined alignment during walking and stance activities, emphasising that dynamic movement patterns — not just static posture — meaningfully correlate with back problems.
These findings support a kinetic chain perspective: misalignment propagating from lower extremities (ankle to knee to hip to pelvis to spine) contributes to spinal stress and pain. This challenges isolated spine-focused treatment.
Abbasi S, Mousavi SH & Khorramroo F (2024). PLOS ONE 19(10): e0311480.
Apply the Research
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