“Pain from acupuncture slippers?”

Qi is moving might need to detox

The structural alignment of the body starts at the feet with the arches. Tai chi slippers do not have much arch support or much padding for shock absorption either. If you dad has fallen arches aka "flat feet" then the Tai chi slippers don't offer enough support and this can contribute to misalignment issues which can affect the back.

Hi,

Everyone's feet are different, you can'y expect the same style slipper fit to every feet. It looks like you go to a store and find a pair of glasses and wear it without knowing your prescription and expect you can see perfectly. The chance is little. If it causes you back pain, please don't wear it anymore.

Get real Acupucture and forget about the slippers.

I am unaware of what acupuncture slippers entail and what they are meant for, but you should consult a licensed professional along with your PCP. If the slippers were uncomfortable, there could be a chance your gait shifted, causing residual pain in your back from trying to walk comfortably.

Hi,

I don’t really know what acupuncture slippers are. In my opinion, needle is the real acupuncture. Other than that, I don’t think it will have the same result as acupuncture.

Acupuncture points on the soles of your feet, some of those acupuncture points are for the waist. Soon after your feet put them on, your waist starts to hurt which means that these acupuncture points have diagnosed a problem with your waist. Don't worry, they are treating your back, after a while, your back will stop pain.

I never heard such a thing. Sorry.

Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry to hear that! Since I’m not familiar with your shoes, off the bat, I’d say to please call the manufacturer. Secondly? Based off of general knowledge, I could say it’s possible that acupressure points stimulated could cause a cascade of a sensation of tenderness and or pain if there is imbalance in the person’s body and the shoes are not customized to the person. It seems it may be a good idea to have a consultation for your personalized situation.

Hi,

Maybe the slippers made your posture tilt to one side and that may be causing the pain. Please consult your local acupuncturist for accurate assessment.

Sincerely,

Scott Sang In Lee

You should schedule with an acupuncturist instead of trying some unproven novelty products.

Interesting. Without having more information, any answer would be a complete guess on my part. Here's what I think...

I Googled 'acupuncture slippers' because I'd never heard of them before. Assuming the images I found are similar to what you have, it appears that these are designed mostly to stimulate the soles of the feet. That gives us two possibilities for what might have happened - one is a more physiologic explanation and the other is a more Chinese approach.

1. Unlike the presentation in most anatomy and physiology texts, the musculoskeletal system is highly integrated and overlapping. These overlaps are sometimes referred to as myofascial chains or myofascial slings. There is a chain of overlapping muscle and connective tissue that starts on the sole of the foot, extends via the achilles up the calf, transitions into the hamstrings on the posterior thigh, crosses the buttock on the glutes, extends up the back via the spinal erectors and quadratus lumborum, ending at the posterior shoulder in the upper latissimus dorsi. Excess tension anywhere along this chain can cause pain or radiating pain at any other point along the chain. If the slippers caused the plantar fascia of the foot to tighten or changed the way you stand/walk such that there was uneven compensation on one side of the body, then back pain (or pain at any point along that posterior chain) could have developed as a result.

2. In Chinese medical theory, the kidney, due largely to its position in the body, is thought to control the lower back. Low back pain with certain presentation is thus often treated via acupuncture points located on the kidney channel. The first point on the kidney channel is located on the sole, just behind the ball of the foot. Excess stimulation of this point could lead to a kidney deficiency situation resulting in low back pain.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are much more complicated than most people want to believe. Sometimes products like this are fine for consumer use and sometimes, depending on the person, they may be exactly the wrong thing.

The quickest way to resolve your problem is either to see a good massage therapist and have them work the entire posterior chain from the sole of the foot to the back of the shoulder or find a licensed acupuncturist in your area, explain to them what happened, and let them put your system back in to proper balance.

I don't recommend using such slippers because you might be unable to walk normally and it is affecting your back. Those slippers should not be used all the time anyway.

Alexandre Hillairet, DAOM.

I have a bit of a vendetta against acupuncture/acupressure shoes and mats because they can do more harm than good. While the massage may feel nice, to stimulate so many points simultneously is sending your body way too many signals. I liken it to trying to listen to several radio stations at the same time.

To speak on the shoes specifically, they can be overstimulating your Kidney's which can cause back pain, but they may also be changing your posture, weight distribution, and how you walk which can also cause back pain.

I have no idea what acupuncture slippers are. There is only one acupuncture point on the bottom of the feet, but many reflexology points. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with those so can't tell you what has happened. I would suggest seeing a real acupuncturist to rid yourself of your back pain.

That does not sound like acupuncture to me, unless needles are being inserted by a licensed acupuncturist. I would discontinue use and see an actual acupuncturist.

Sorry to hear. Perhaps you are referring to reflexology slippers that can focus on acupuncture points? Foot reflexology is like the massage aspect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM); these products are often mislabeled as acupuncture slippers. Acupuncture points on the bottom of the feet are very minimal. These slippers are a lot like self-massaging at home with a tennis ball under the back or shoulder. They’re excellent and easy to use. However, it sounds like you may have a condition where these slippers aren’t helping with your back & posture. You may have to look into foot orthopedics to have this corrected and have a podiatrist analyze your feet/gait effect on posture.

Unfortunately, I cannot weigh in on retail products and their efficacy, but I would advise against using them without professional guidance.

Warmly,

Natalie Ramsey, MS LAc