• Raquel Díaz-Meco Conde, Beatriz Ruiz Ruiz, Margarita Rubio Alonso, César Calvo-Lobo, Carmen de Labra, Daniel López-López, and Romero MoralesCarlosC0000-0001-6598-829XPT, MSc, PhD. Senior Lecturer and Researcher, School of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid, Spain..
• PT, MSc, PhD. Professor and Researcher, School of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid, Spain.
• Sao Paulo Med J. 2021 Jul 1; 139 (4): 312-318.

BackgroundBack pain is a normal symptom during pregnancy and is expected to become worse beyond the first three months after childbirth.ObjectivesTo determine the effectiveness of wearing unstable shoes instead of conventional shoes, regarding pain intensity, low back mobility and stability, among women with lumbopelvic pain (LPP) during the postpartum period.Design And SettingProspective, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial conducted at a podiatry and physiotherapy clinical center.MethodsA nine-week program of wearing either unstable shoes (A) or conventional shoes (B) was implemented. The following outcomes were measured in three assessments: pain intensity, using a visual analogue scale (VAS); low-back mobility, using a modified Schober test; and stability, using a pressure platform.ResultsThe lateral stability speed, anterior stability speed and anterior center of pressure (COP) showed significant (P < 0.05) decreases in the unstable shoes group after nine weeks, in relation to the conventional group. Intra-group measurements showed significant differences (P < 0.05) in VAS between the second and third assessments and between the first and third assessments in both groups. Intra-group evaluations also showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in the lateral stability speed and anterior stability speed.ConclusionsUnstable shoes were effective in decreasing the pain intensity at five and nine weeks in women with postpartum LPP. In addition, their use produced decreases in lateral stability speed, anterior stability speed and anterior COP at nine weeks.

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