10 REASONS YOUR... HIGH HEELS ARE KILLING YOU

THEY CAUSE ARTHRITIS LAST week MPs called for a ban on work dress codes requiring women to wear high heels, stating it was gender discrimination and that they cause physical damage. Science (and legions of women) agreed. A 2014 UK study found that ‘persistent’ heel-wearing was linked to development of osteoarthritis in the legs.

STRESS ON KNEES A 2012 study carried out at the University of Southern California, found that stress on the knee joint increased by 90 per cent when a woman wore a 3.75in heel rather than flats.

BACK STRAIN The plantar fascia – the ligament under the foot – is connected to the calf muscle, which is connected to the hamstrings, which attaches to the lower back and pelvis. Walking on the balls of the feet strains the plantar fascia, with pain felt in the lower back.

OVERSTRETCHED ACHILLES The American Osteopathic Association says long-term use of high heels tightens the calf muscle and shortens the Achilles tendon, which

can lead to muscle pain, and recommends stretching after wearing heeled shoes.

MIND YOUR BUNIONS Bunions are bone deformities at the toe joint. High-heels do not cause bunions – they’re genetic – but the unnatural positioning of the toes and pressure put on the ball can trigger their development.

FRAZZLED NERVES Morton’s neuroma, also known as metarsalgia, is when a nerve in the foot – often between the toes – becomes irritated and causes pain. The condition is most common among middle-aged women, and is linked to wearing tightfitting and pointy shoes and walking on the ball of the foot.

HEEL DEFORMITY Haglund’s deformity is an enlargement of a part of the heel bone, in the form of a bony bump, often accompanied by heel pain and swelling. It is caused by tight-fitting shoes with rigid backs that press and irritate the area.

MUSCLE PAIN A 2013 study found that wearing heels at work, for at least 40 hours a week for two years, was linked to muscle pain and increased risk of injury in the trunk and hips, due to the way walking and standing in heels changes how muscles move.

UGLY TOES The main cause of ingrown toenails is tight-fitting shoes, as the warm sweaty environment softens the nail, which is then bent and grows into the skin.

WATCH YOUR STEP In 2015 a team at Alabama University studied A&E records and found numbers of admittances related to falling while wearing heeled shoes had doubled over a decade.