By Dr. Ryan Zullo, DC
HealthFirst Chiropractic of Westerville
Why Wear Shoes with Orthotic Insoles When Working from Home
A meeting in the boardroom, a brief walk to the copy machine, asking a coworker a question in their office, or lunch in the cafeteria. What do these things all have in common? They were all things that forced you to get up from your ergonomically correct chair when you were in the office prior to the pandemic.
Before March of 2020 there were many things that were considered to be normal when it came to our workday. Then the effects of COVID-19 began to quickly set in, and the “new norm” forced many of us to work-from-home. We somehow needed to figure out how to recreate that familiar, ergonomic work environment in the comfort of our own homes. Unfortunately, many of us struggled with this transition.
Where we once made sure that we were wearing proper footwear with proper support, using our sit-stand desk, adjusting our ergonomic chair or monitor stands to maintain proper posture now had us standing at our kitchen counter in slippers working on our laptop. Or we had a makeshift desk at our dining room table with a not-so-ergonomic dining room chair, barefoot.
Fast forward to 2023, you have likely upgraded your home office with a new desk and chair in order to maintain better posture, but what are you doing to take care of your feet? I had mentioned earlier that many of us would make sure we had our arch support for the workday. If we wore orthotics, it was necessity that they were in our shoes to avoid an increase in pain and discomfort. But now, since we are not going into the office, or at least not as much, we do not need to worry about comfortable shoes, right? Wrong.
Patients of mine who continue to come in complaining of low back and/or foot pain continue to tell me that they are either barefoot or wearing slippers throughout the day when asked “what’s on your feet while at home.” Unfortunately, physical stress will continue to affect our bodies because of the lack of arch support, something that was a necessity when we were in the office on a daily basis.
So, my question to you is if you are not wearing appropriate footwear at home, why? Doing so will not only stabilize the arches in your feet but it will help create a solid foundation for the rest of your body. They will also provide that extra cushion and support your foot lacks when wearing unsupported footwear. If you do not feel the need to purchase a new pair of shoes, orthotics is another option. Whether you slip a pair of insoles into a shoe of your choice or invest in a pair of their sandals or slippers that has their patented arch support already built into the footwear, PowerStep has you covered when it comes to arch support while working from home.
This footwear may be only worn in the comfort of your own home. If you decide to run errands, go on a walk, or need to go pick up the kids, you will change your shoes. Then, once you return and continue to work, you would slip your “work from home shoes” back on.
Remember, allowing your body to have proper biomechanics will have a dramatic effect on your overall health which can decrease the overcompensation that typically occurs in other joints. Less compensation typically means less pain and discomfort, which is something we should strive for to maintain a superior quality of life.
While I may recommend specific stretches to a certain area of the body in hopes to help relieve some of that muscle tension that is occurring, I am also beginning to recommend wearing shoes with insoles in your home to continue to maintain that arch support. As a Chiropractor I often have your back and now, I have your feet as well!