High Heels: Friend Or Foe

By Shabnamahsan

High heels became a fashionable accessory which fascinates women of all ages. They can certainly add striking elegance to your persona but at the same time they contribute to many serious health problems.
         According to American Podiatric Medical Association high heels are biochemically & orthopedically unsound.
Unnatural Posture
       High heels deform your natural posture. It places your heel unnaturally above your toes which causes your lower part of the body to lean forward and to keep the balance your upper body leans back. It puts your body out of its natural alignment.
Back pain
       Wearing high heels requires throwing your weight forward which changes the position of spine putting pressure on nerves in the back causing pain, tingling & numbness
Fall
       High heel makes your feet is in supinated position which puts you at risk for losing your balance causing broken ankles & other disabling injuries.
Osteoarthritis
        Osteoarthritis is twice as common in women because high heels increase the pressure on the inside of the knee by 26% which elevates the risk for this very painful disease.
Foot Problems
       High heels put greater pressure on the ball of the foot which causes metatarsalgia that is pain in the ball of the foot. The pressure increases with the height of the heels. Wearing a 3inch heels increases 76% pressure on forefoot than a flat shoe.
       The increased pressure leads to Morton’s Neuroma that is 10 times more common in women than men. A narrow toe box of high heels cause thickening of tissue around a nerve between the third & fourth toes, which can lead to numbness & pain in the toes.
It can also lead to Sciatica that is triggering pain & numbness down the feet.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
        There is a risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis if you stand for longer period of time in high heels causing blood clots form in deep veins, mainly in legs.
Hammertoes

        A narrow pointed toe box that often found in of high heels force the second, third or fourth toe into a permanently bent position in the middle joint that resembles a hammer which can’t be strengthened even when barefoot.
Bunions
       The narrow toe box of high heels cause painful swelling and bone enlargement at the base joint of the big toe which bends towards other toes leading to redness & pain.
Pump Bump
        Pump Bump also known as Hugland Deformity is a painful bony enlargement on the back of the heel resulted by straps and rigid back of the pump style high heels.
Contraction Of Calf Muscles
        Calf muscles contract when you walk in high heels. Long-term wear lead to permanently stiffening and shortening of the muscle which cause them fatigue faster & decrease flexibility during running.
Headaches
       Wearing high heels put the spine out of its natural alignment causing muscles behind the neck stiff & putting pressure on nerves that can lead to chronic headache.
Achilles Tendonitis
        Walking in the high heels results in shifting body’s natural alignment forward putting pressure on the Achilles Tendonitis which runs up the back of the leg from the heel. The higher the heel the shorter the tendon becomes. Wearing high heels constantly shorten & tighten the tendon permanently making you unable to wear anything but very high heels. You’ll get a lot of pain at the back of the heel when you try to put your foot into a flat shoe.
      When the heel is constantly elevated, Achilles Tendonitis which runs up the back of the leg from the heel, shorten & tighten permanently. The higher the heel the shorter the tendon becomes, making you unable to wear anything, but very high heels. You will get a lot of pain at the back of the heel when you try to put your foot into a flat shoe.
In-Grown Toenails
         Incidence of in-grown toenails & nail infection is higher in high heel wearer as it squeezes and squashes the toes.
                  You may not have these problems in your teen or early twenties, but after reaching 30 or 40 years of age, you will suddenly experience all the pain, deformation & several types of health problems.
              The best way to avoid these problems is to stop wearing high heels. If it’s not possible than wear it on special occasions & no longer than three hours at a time. Whenever you get opportunity slip those high heels off & give some rest to your feet & massage it with your hands. Spend time daily to stretch & exercise your muscles to increase stability & flexibility. 
                                      Using it in moderation & taking care of your feet you can avoid the ill effects of these Killer Heels.