Could skinny jeans be causing you back pain?

High heels and hooded jackets are potential culprits too

Fashionistas, brace yourselves! It looks like our favourite denim trend might be doing us more harm than good. At least, that’s what doctors are saying.

Skinny jeans – and also, coats with big, fluffy hoods, can contribute to painful back problems, reports The Independent. According to a survey by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), fashionable clothing such as backless shoes, oversized bags and heavy statement jewellery are partly to blame for the nearly three-quarters of women suffering from back pain.

As for skinnies, chiropractor Rishi Loatey explained that wearing very tight jeans can restrict mobility and force other muscles to strain as they try to compensate for the resulting change in posture. Sounds painful, doesn’t it?

“If they’re incredibly tight, you won’t be able to walk as you normally would,” Rishi said. “You’ve got a natural gait, or stride, that you would take, and the knee, hip and lower back all move to minimise the pressure coming up through the joints. However, if one of those areas isn’t moving as it should be, it’s going to cause more pressure elsewhere.”

While 73% of women from a sample of over 2,000 said they have had back pain, more than a quarter – 28%– said they were aware their clothing affects their posture and back and neck pain, but did not take this into account when choosing what to wear.

Lower back pain is the most common cause of disability worldwide, with 9.4% of people suffering from it, according to a study published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.



High heels, which cause muscles in the back of your legs and the calves to tighten and pull on your pelvis differently, have long been culprits of back pain. A number of high-profile campaigns against “sexist” dress codes requiring women to wear high heels at work have made in reference to this fact.

But backless shoes, flimsy ballet pumps and some soft boots can also damage your back if they are worn too often, said Rishi. “If you imagine the back of a shoe, the bit that goes round the back is supposed to be quite firm, so it grips the rear foot,” he said. “If you don’t have that, then your foot is more mobile in the shoe.”

Rishi continued, “If they’re not the right size, they’re a bit loose or they don’t have the bit at the back, you’re almost gripping the shoe as you walk, which again changes the way you walk.” He added that ideally shoes should be laced up at the front to make sure the foot is held firmly.

A third of women surveyed by the BCA were unaware that their clothing choices could harm their backs and necks. Rishi said people should try and wear clothes that allow them to move more freely. Heavy hoods and over-shoulder bags can both restrict movement.

One should also consider limiting the amount of time they spend wearing high heels or backless shoes and consider travelling to work or social events in trainers or other well-supported shoes instead, he said.

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