Are High Heels Hurting Your Back?
By Vanessa Barrameda
High Heels: a fashion statement or a form of female suppression? This is what many women (and men) debate on. Many modern women love to get their feet into them to achieve “sexiness”, “self-confidence” and “power”, although many others believe the opposite. What cannot be denied are the physical repercussions of wearing them. Even women themselves admit it: high heels can cause pain.
Foot & Heel Facts
Blisters, corns and calluses. Painful rubbing of the feet can occur from wearing high heels that direct the body’s weight forward in your shoe or from a too-narrow toe box that creates uncomfortable pressure points on your foot. Because of repeated friction, thick and hardened layers of skin develop in these areas, causing blisters that later form corns and calluses.
Bunions. These are bony bumps that form on the joint at the base of your big toe. Tight shoes only worsen the occurrence of bunions, so podiatrists highly recommend avoiding tight, high heels to avoid this.
Hammertoe. This is a permanent deformity in which the toe bends up slightly and then curls downward at the middle joint. When your toes are forced against the front of your shoe, an unnatural bending of your toes can lead to a hammertoe.
Tight heel cords. If you wear high heels all the time, you risk tightening and shortening your Achilles tendon — the strong, fibrous cord that connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. The Achilles tendon’s job is to help you point your foot downward, rise on your toes and push off as you walk. Wearing high heels prevents your heel bones from regularly coming in contact with the ground, which in turn keeps your Achilles tendon from fully stretching.
Pump bump. The bony enlargement on the back of the heel can become aggravated by the rigid backs or straps of high heels. This enlargement can result to redness, pain and swelling of the soft tissues surrounding the pump bump. The condition, which can also be acquired hereditarily, is also known as Haglund's deformity.
Neuromas. A neuroma is a noncancerous (benign) growth of nerve tissue that can develop in various parts of your body. Also known as Morton's neuroma or plantar neuroma, this condition can occur in your foot, most commonly between or underneath the third and fourth toes, or along the sole of the foot. A neuroma causes sharp, burning pain in the ball of your foot, accompanied by stinging or numbness in your toes. When the shoe pushes your foot in tighter and pinches a nerve, tissue grows around that nerve and causes severe pain. In extreme cases, surgery may be required.
Metatarsalgia. This is described as joint pain in the ball of the foot. High heels cause you to shift more weight to the ball of your foot, rather than distributing your weight over the entire foot, so this causes increased pressure, strain and pain in your forefoot.
Osteoarthritis. This is the most common form of arthritis, and occurs twice as often in women than in men. Most doctors blame the heels! Heels force the thigh muscles to work harder, putting extra strain on the knee joint and tendon that runs from the knee cap to the thigh bone. Compared with walking barefoot, high heels increase the pressure on the inside of the knee by 26 percent. Over time, this increased pressure on the knee can lead to osteoarthritis.
Heels Vs. The Back
Women reading this will be shocked to know that high heels do not only affect the legs and feet but hurt your back and even your neck as well!
High heeled shoes place the body into hyperextension, which literally throws your spine out of alignment. They increase stress on the lumbar spine, promoting an unnatural curve of the spine. This can put pressure on the back muscles and cause pain starting from the neck creeping downwards.
Fashion Victims
According to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, people take an average of 10,000 steps a day. It’s bad enough that your feet take all the body weight during those thousands of steps, but adding 3-inch heels can actually create 76% more pressure! Decreasing the number of inches can make a dramatic difference. In fact, the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM) reports that a 3” heel creates seven times more stress than a 1” heel.
A survey made by the AAPSM reveals that 43% of women say they've gotten blisters from high heels, 39% report pain in the balls of their feet, 23% each report corns and calluses, and 22% have experienced back pain. In another report, statistics showed that women account for about 90% of the nearly 800,000 operations each year for bunions, hammertoes, and trapped nerves caused mostly by wearing high heels. Other studies reveal similar numbers, and all agree that there are too many negative effects of wearing high heels that cannot be ignored.
However, despite all these findings and news reports, a recent U.S. Foot Industry survey showed that a whopping 300 million pairs of heeled shoes are sold annually! This just says that regardless of all the warnings, women still continue to desire the “elevation” brought by these types of shoes and continue to demand sleeker, higher and slimmer styles.
Shoe-shopping Tips
Okay, it may sound harsh and inconsiderate, but doctors all over the world agree that if you really love your feet (together with your legs, spine and neck) – refrain from prolonged wearing of high heeled shoes. But if you simply can’t exist without them, here are some tips on how to minimize the pain and discomfort:
The lower the heels, the better. Select shoes with low heels (an inch and a half or less). A wide heel base provides better support than the more popular narrow, stiletto-type ones. Thicker soles absorb shock better and put less pressure on the foot.
Correct shoe size only please. Your feet get longer and wider as you age so you always have to fit shoes before buying them. Re-check your shoe size every few years or so to make sure you’re optimizing your foot comfort on the next set you’re buying. Stand up when being sized because your feet expand when you stand. Upper materials such as leather or microfiber will allow the foot to swell without pinching.
Don't rely on shoe size alone. There are a number of women who like buying shoes online because they could get those imported pumps or stilettos at less cost. They fail to have them fitted properly and end up buying a pair that’s half a size too big or small. Remember, sizes can vary from one manufacturer to another and from one style to another.
Buy the shoe that fits the larger foot. Many people have one foot that's larger than the other. If this is the case for you, select shoes that fit the larger foot. Make sure you have at least a finger's width between your longest toe and the end of your shoe.
Shop for shoes late in the afternoon or in the evening. No, this isn’t feng shui or some superstitious belief. Your feet actually swell during the day, and a shoe that feels fine when you try it on in the morning could feel tight that afternoon.
Buy comfortable shoes. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a 'break in' period. Shoes should feel comfortable during the first fitting. Don't buy a pair that you think will fit well after you've worn them for a while because believe me, the pain and anguish it will cause before the leather loosens up is not worth it.
Quality materials provide quality wearing experience. Select shoes that use materials that breathe and allow flexibility, such as leather or nylon mesh. There is a good reason why they’re more expensive than the normal ones, and you’ll surely find out why only after weeks of wearing them.
Limit the amount of time wearing high heels. Alternate the use of high heels and low heels or flats to prevent the Achilles tendon from tightening. Wearing flat shoes or rubber shoes to the office and then changing into your heels once you get to work will help minimize the effects.
Pamper your feet. Give your feet a nice massage or soak them in lukewarm water at the end of the day to help relax the abused muscles and joints. Good thing Filipinos are so into the “foot spa” craze, which has swept the metro surprisingly in the last few years. Be careful, though, of having poorly trained employees do your feet because too much scrubbing (using a file or pumice) can remove the foot’s protective layers abruptly, causing extra sensitivity.
Save Your Feet: Ditch The Heels!
Podiatrists agree that high heels are "biomechanically and orthopedically unsound.” However, if you still want to remain stylish and up-to-date with fashion despite all that has been said, save the high heels for extra special occasions.
But really, if you love your feet, spare them the pain and stay away from high heels totally! By doing this, you can minimize your risk of developing the many foot, leg and back problems discussed in this article. Beauty doesn’t always come with a painful price. In fact, many would agree with me when I say that going with what’s natural can bring out the true effortless beauty in an individual. Remember, there’s nothing sexy at all about having tortured, disfigured and abused feet!
