Generally, on these Ergonomics Wednesdays, I write about your working space: how to choose and set it up, how to optimize it for maximum efficiency and minimum discomfort, what to do about your chair, etc. However, your work desk is only one area of ergonomics.
Ergonomics, More than Your Desk
Recall, from Merriam Webster online:
an applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely
— called also biotechnology, human engineering, human factors
This definition shows the field of ergonomics to be so much bigger than just your desk, big enough to encompass, well, pretty much everything. So how did I get to quoting Nancy Sinatra (or Jessica Simpson for you young ’uns)? Easy, I want to talk footwear.
It’s summertime and I live in a neighbourhood with a lot of south Asian immigrants. Flip flops (thongs, for you Aussies) abound, and seeing people wearing those fool things for anything other than showering at the gym makes my back ache.
No, seriously, flip flops make my back ache, and for good reason. They offer neither arch support nor stability for the foot. They move around on the foot, and bend randomly along the whole length so the foot is never correctly aligned, and never stable. You can slip and slide right off the thing, and if you’re really unlucky you can even fall. This happened to my oldest boy’s best friend (an Indian boy, coincidentally) who slipped in his flip flops, and broke his elbow.
Don’t Wear Flip Flops
Now, for many people, perhaps even most people, for just walking flip flops are not a big deal. For those of us with either flat feet (hi Dad) or really high arches (that would be me) the lack of support causes a chain reaction, starting at the feet.
If you have flat feet and you wear flip flops:
- You have no arch support
- Your foot tilts inward
- Misaligning your knees
- Misaligning your hips
- Leading to back pain.
If you have very high arches, and you wear flip flops:
- You have no arch support
- Your foot tilts inward
- Misaligning your knees
- Misaligning your hips
- Leading to back pain.
The Summer Heat
In this summer heat, if you must have an open shoe, choose a sandal with good arch support, and preferably a heel strap. The arch support will keep your foot in the correct orientation to the rest of your leg, and the heel strap will keep the sandal from slipping around so that the support is always in the correct position.
Myself? In the year I spent in southern China, I lived in Birkenstocks. They had good arch support, a heel strap to keep them positioned and the soles were stiff enough that they weren’t randomly bending away from my foot.
I’m sure there are other high quality makes of sandals out there, but you’ll have to do your own research because, outside of the gym shower, I no longer wear them. What I do wear is high quality running shoes. I’m willing to accept sweaty feet to avoid back pain.
Quality Shoes
My brand of preference is Saucony. In 30 years, I have only ever owned one pair of running shoes which did not require I throw out the manufacturer’s insole, and replace it with a 30 to 50 dollar gel-pad, sports insole. That pair was a very pricey pair of Sauconies.
For those increasingly rare occasions when I need a pair of shoes that’s a little nicer than runners, I have orthotics. I like Deer Stag and Rockport men’s shoes, and add a custom pair of orthotics to them. Interestingly enough, my podiatrist also recommends Saucony runners for when you’re not wearing shoes that need orthotics.
For orthotics, I highly recommend you go to a podiatrist. He will 3-D scan your foot, and the orthotics will be custom made for your exact size and shape. They’re pricey, but don’t cheap out.
Poor posture and back pain often begin in the feet, so taking good care of your feet is the first, um, step in getting rid of back pain, and maintaining good posture.
