Study validates custom orthotics significantly reduces low back pain, helps reduce reliance on opioids

August 23, 2017—A conclusive new study, “Shoe Orthotics for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial” conducted by National University of Health Sciences and published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation shows that Foot Levelers custom orthotics, particularly in combination with chiropractic care, significantly reduce low back pain (LBP). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports 80 percent of adults experience LBP at some point in their lifetime and it’s the single leading cause of disability worldwide, with many taking prescription drugs for pain relief – which often leads to long-term drug abuse and addiction.

“The study unequivocally confirms what we have known for over 65 years: Foot Levelers custom orthotics are a powerful first-line treatment in the battle against LBP,” says Kent S. Greenawalt, CEO of Foot Levelers, the world’s leading provider of custom-made functional orthotics and other therapeutic products. “There is significant scientific evidence that explains the foot-spine connection, but the bottom line is that using Foot Levelers to balance and support the feet—the foundation of the body—helps balance and support the spine. This study is another striking development in the case for evidence-based, conservative care of LBP, which in the face of America’s ongoing opioid crisis, is more important news than ever.”

Key Findings

• Foot Levelers orthotics significantly reduce low back pain—by 34.5 percent
• Foot Levelers orthotics plus chiropractic care reduce low back pain by 40.4 percent
• Foot Levelers alone or in conjunction with chiropractic care improves function—by 18.5 percent and 32.3 percent, respectively

Methodology

• Outcomes assessed at 12 weeks, and at three, six, and 12 months
• Improvements in both pain and in function as measured on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale and functional health status (Oswestry) scale
• 225 subjects with LBP were randomly assigned to one of three groups:

1. Wait-list: no treatment
2. Foot Levelers Shoe Orthotic Group: treatment plan consisted of Foot Levelers custom orthotics only
3. Plus Group: treatment plan of Foot Levelers custom orthotics plus chiropractic care

Manuel Duarte, DC, MSAc, DABCO, and DACBSP, Chair of Clinical Practice at National University of Health Sciences, and one of the study’s lead researchers, says “LBP is one of the most common reasons cited for missed work and the NIH study confirms more than one quarter of adults reported LBP during the past three months. Most alarming is the link between LBP and the deadly opioid epidemic, a challenge that is effectively addressed when Foot Levelers custom orthotics and drug-free chiropractic care are the first-line approach for LBP pain management.”

To download the full research report click here

Source: Foot Levelers