Relationship between foot pressure and spinal parameters in healthy adults - A systematic review

Foot pressure has an essential impact on the entire musculoskeletal chain. So far, the direct influence of foot pressure onto the spinal posture and vice versa is still unclear.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between foot pressure and spinal posture in healthy adults under static and dynamic conditions.

Systematic research was conducted using PubMed to demonstrate the relationship between foot pressure and spinal posture. The search strategy was based on the PICOS selection criteria. The risk of bias within the studies was assessed using SIGN rankings.

Based on the search strategy, 719 articles were identified by screening title and abstract. 11 studies with moderate methodological quality partially showed a relationship between foot pressure and spinal posture (SIGN:2-1- and B-D). Apart from the foot pressure, the included studies analyzed parameters of muscle thickness (sonography), trunk displacement, head position, posterior tilt angle, trunk tilt, pelvic rotation, spinal range of motion, or spinal motion. Strength training and increased muscle thickness in the lumbar spine ensure decreased foot pressure. The head position partly induces a change of foot pressure under static conditions. No correlation was identified between spinal posture and foot pressure during forward and backward walking without manipulation. The static and dynamic measurements only show statistical correlations between foot and back muscles.

Foot pressure and spinal posture seem to be interrelated under static and dynamic conditions. Static and dynamic measurements are necessary for body posture analysis, as the conditions do not always show consistent results. Due to the small number of studies and low sample sizes, further investigations are necessary to gain more precise perception of the interplay of the spine and foot pressure. For better comparison, more homogeneous studies investigating similar spine parameters are needed.