Don’t let high heels kill your feet
High heels have become an expression of modern lifestyle and a global fashion statement. In United States, for instance, researchers suggest that nearly half of the female population wears heels. Although the numbers don’t seem as high in India, with growing urbanisation and interest in fashion trends, heels have risen in popularity. As a consequence, a larger number of women are facing multiple health issues due to their footwear preference.
The health effects of wearing heels are more than the pain. Due to the inclined nature of the footwear, the body weight shifts towards the front of the feet. The natural posture of the body is lost, which causes the muscles of the legs, pelvis, and back to work harder to maintain balance. Abnormal posture and prolonged stress on certain muscles and bones triggers shortening and stiffening of muscles and tendons of the calves.
High heels also impact knees, which support the body in maintaining balance in the forward inclined posture. They are subjected to extra stress, particularly the knee cap called the patellafemoral joint, causing early cartilage degeneration. This has proven to be a contributory factor in causing arthritis in the knee.
The knee being in an elevated position also gives rise to a condition called Achilles tendonitis, leading to calf cramps and making walking difficult and painful. Some people develop lower back pain after prolonged use of high heels, because the back muscles are overworked.
The part most affected, however, are the feet. As the body pressure shifts to the front part of the feet, it leads to conditions such as forefoot overload, corns, and calluses. Forefoot overload causes severe pain on the front of the foot and toes. Corns and calluses are painful, hard lesions on the soles of the feet. Wearing tight shoes also causes hallux valgus, commonly called a bunion — a progressive deformity of toes, leading to a painful bony prominence on the medial aspect of the foot. However, there are ways to reduce the ill effect of heels. Massage your legs daily and do some stretching exercises. This will help ease the stress in tendons and calf muscles. Avoid pencil heels and stilettos. Instead opt for wedges as they provide more support. Choose footwear with low heels as they are better for body posture.
Wear normal shoes while commuting.
The author of this article, Dr Maninder Shah Singh is a Senior Consultant, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Chief Foot & Ankle Services, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre Address: Sec-C, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi; Contact: 9717191526; www.isiconline.org