Does Wearing Heeled Footwear Have an Effect on Lower Back Function in Women?: A Cross-Sectional Study

Swathi  S R; Ishwarya  Vardhini C; Senthil  Purushothaman

Swathi S R Postgraduate Student, Chettinad School of Physiotherapy, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu, India.
Ishwarya Vardhini C Assistant professor, Chettinad School of Physiotherapy, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu, India.
Senthil Purushothaman Professor & Dean Incharge, Chettinad School of Physiotherapy, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu, India.

Keywords: High Heel, Lumbar, Foot Posture, Lower Back, Discomfort, Footwear, Oswestry

Abstract

Introduction: Pain is a concept that can occur due to many reasons. Females are more prevalent than males in terms of pain. The total occurrence of discomfort in the lower back is 28.8 % and thus the prevalence in females was 60.9% which is higher than in males which accounts for 39.1%. The important point that must be noted is the reports of many research studies showing that long-term usage of high-heeled footwear can adversely on various body parts. But still, women like to wear them.The foot, knee, and back pain are found to be 78.94% of women who wear > 5 cm heel height and 53.12% of women who wear < 5 cm heel height—back discomfort results from the user tipping their foot forward, which impacts pressure on their lower back. The negative impacts like low back ache, changes in gait, and sprain of the ankle were due to the increase in the curvature of the lumbar spine.
Aim: The study aimed to analyse the correlation between high-heeled footwear usage and its impact on low-back mechanics.
Method: This study was done for 100 female subjects wearing heeled footwear and the type of sampling was convenient sampling. The 100 female subjects are recruited based on the criterion of inclusion. Then the subjects were provided with informed consent before the study. They were provided with foot posture index (FPI) and Oswestry disability index (ODI).
Results: Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to tabulate and analyse the data that had been gathered. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) has a value of 0.232. While there is a positive connection
and association between the Foot Posture Index (FPI) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), women’s lower back discomfort worsens when their Foot Posture Index score (high-heeled footwear) increases.
Conclusion: It is concluded that there is a significant association between foot posture and low back pain among women who wear heeled footwear. This can be used as a routine during the assessment for low-back pain.

How to cite this article:
Swathi S R, Vardhini I C, Purushothaman S.
Does Wearing Heeled Footwear, Have an Effect
on Lower Back Function in Women?: A CrossSectional Study. Chettinad Health City Med J.
2024;13(3):36-41.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2278.2044.202442

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