Regional interdependence is the term used when your knee, hip, and back pain is caused by poor foot posture. Problems such as over-pronation or flattening of the arches may cause excessive rotation of the supporting bones in your leg (the tibia and femur). This can cause increased stress through the knee. And once the knee doesn’t function properly, the hip and back can be affected.
The podiatrists at Coastal Podiatry Associates use a systematic approach to locate the source of the pain and evaluate your joint’s range of motion, joint mobility, muscle strength and extensibility, sensation, alignment, and gait pattern. Your gait pattern is an evaluation of how you walk and the use of a pressure plate may be incorporated into the test. A pressure plate will interoperate your foot’s pressure points as you step.
The key in treating your knee, hip, or back pain is to determine what part of the body is causing the pain. It may not seem obvious to tell your podiatrist about your leg and back pain but many times, there is significant association between this pain and your feet. The foot is a critical piece of the body’s foundation as it is the only part that makes contact with the ground. The foot also acts as a shock absorption system and lever to propel you in each step. It is easy to see how structural problems in your foot can cause misalignment and pain up the body structure including the ankle, knee, hips, and lower back.
