Home How to prevent back pain from standing on concrete
Local

How to prevent back pain from standing on concrete

Contributors

The average person walks between 75,000 to 115,000 miles in a lifetime. Most of these miles are walked on hard surfaces that offer little to no support to your lower back, knees and especially your feet. Even professional models, occasionally suffer from back pain in varying degrees that are often painful and debilitating.

The best shoes to prevent back pain from standing on concrete all day must offer the support to your feet with even distribution of body weight evenly across your entire foot area. Shoes designed with the latest in styling and setting trends may be the newest addition to your ever-growing increasing repertoire, however may be doing more damage to your back than you think.

Back pain effects people of all ages from adolescents to the elderly. Common with those who must walk or stand on concrete every day, back pain can be avoided with simple common practices that have been used for centuries.

What Causes Back Pain?

Workers across the globe that are required to walk on concrete for their employment positions are more likely to have a higher incident of back pain. Often mistaken for minor aches associated within their particular chosen field of expertise, ignoring an aching pain in your back is merely a warning sign that should be addressed accordingly.

Your back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. Both female and male models are highly susceptible to back pain. Fast paced strides during a fashion show with sharp, twisting movement can result in back pain with serious complications. Unfortunately, over 80-percent of the current population will experience some form of back pain in their lives.

Whereas, there is no immediate single diagnosis for causes of back pain, taking preventative measures, avoiding unnecessary lifts, turns and sudden movements will keep you and your back healthy.

Tips to Prevent Back Pain From Standing on Concrete

There are many simple, everyday tips that can prevent back pain. With no special effort required  or doctor’s appointments to schedule, the following tips to prevent back pain from standing on concrete throughout prolonged shifts have been proven to be very effective in the prevention of the common everyday back pain:

  • Maintain an healthy diet and weight. Additional body weight puts more stress on your back with a grater chance of future, more serious back problems.
  • Remain active. Consulting or visiting your local chiropractor occasionally is a good preventive means of assuring fewer back problems in the future.
  • Avoid prolong inactivity or bed rest. Avoiding any physical activities that puts additional pressure on your back. Getting the proper rest without over-extension will keep you in shape and out of the doctor’s office.
  • Warm up or stretch before exercising or beginning work. Simple stretching exercises will get you ready for a long day and activate your back muscles
  • Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes. One of the most over-looked by those who suffer from back pain on a continual basis. Concrete has no give. Wearing inappropriate work shoes that offer little to no support increases your risk of frequent back pain significantly. Your shoes should offer support to not only the sole of your foot but to the heel and arch area. High-heeled shoes with heels higher than one-inch are often directly related to chronic back pains reported by those who employment positions requiring continual contact with all hard surfaces, especially concrete.

Taking care of your back should be commonplace without much thought or deliberation involved. The above listed tips for the prevention of back pain while walking on concrete, gives you only a brief glimpse into areas most associated with lower back pain. Adhering to a daily regimen of caring for your back today, will translate into pain free movement tomorrow.

Supportive Shoes

There are many best shoes for walking on concrete available in a wide price range, for those that must stand on concrete all day. Offering the protection and reduction of stress on your back, the appropriate shoes worn should include the following protective features:

Outsoles

Outsoles should be thick but not overly aggressive. The outsoles of your work shoes should be tough and durable and rugged enough to withstand extreme temperature changes while standing on concrete, protecting your feet from a rough floor. Dense or thicker outsoles may look appealing but offer lesser quality and protection from an un-forgiving surface.

Good outsoles have tough treads with good stability on wet surfaces, preventing slipping and falling. The outsoles are your first defense against sharp, puncturing objects. Thicker outsoles also absorb shocks, a common workplace situation when standing on concrete for 8-10 hours per day.

Arch Support

Nothing puts more stress on your back than shoes with poor arch support. Contributing not only to comfort with a cushioning innersole, shoes with proper arch support also aid in the prevention of under pronation,(curvature of the toes) or over pronation (low arches). Regardless if you suffer from either over or under pronation, paying special attention to the appropriate shoes to be worn while standing on concrete for long periods of time will negate any future back pain.

Insoles

Working in conjunction with the outsole, innersoles provide comfort levels for your sore and aching back. Custom insoles are preferred offering specialized fit to ensure your feet are protected all day, every day. Insoles with a gel liner provide a soothing, cooling cradle for your feet, allowing you to stand erect all day. Well-cushioned removable insoles continue to gain in popularity for those who work in the concrete industry.

Conclusion

Back pain is not only uncomfortable but limits your mobility greatly. Radiating pain from the lower back, down your legs and up to the shoulders, your back pain dis-associates you from family and friends. Lasting for minutes, hours, days or even months, back pain remains the third most common reason reported by those who stand on concrete for the majority of the day.

Lower back pain health conditions continue to escalate to higher levels each year. Costing more than $50 billion in health care costs annually, those working in employment positions that require continual standing on concrete for increased lengths of time should pay special attention to the information provided throughout this article.

Pain in your back is not merely a sensation but a message sent from your brain with interpretation of a condition that needs to be addressed. Ignoring these messages will only result in a life full of continual back pain with deeper regrets.

Author Bio

Sophie Elise is a passionate cyclist, author and blogger. She is very passionate about writing on different types of women’s bikes, accessories, health, fitness and more and regularly writes on https://sportsly.net/

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.