Find Out If High Heels Are Bad For Your Health

It is not very hard for fashionable women to sacrifice comfort for fashion. High heels are a classic example of this. A number of studies have illustrated the detrimental effects of high heels. Dr. Ava Shamban, a certified dermatologist and author of Heal Your Skin, says, “High heels put all your body’s weight on our forefoot, causing you to adjust the rest of your body to maintain balance.” These studies have revealed that they tend to add extra pressure on the inside of your knee, alter muscles and tendon structure. So, read on to know more about how this fashion fad is slowly damaging your body.

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Should you shun your stilettos?

High heels tend to place excess force on the inside of your knee, also known as medial meniscus. This is a known risk factor for joint degeneration and osteoarthritis. High heels also tend to alter your posture, which causes your ankles to tilt inward and destabilises your ankle joints (take a look at the figures in the image below).

Image Courtesy: Erik Dalton

Studies have revealed that the knee joint pressure increases by almost 25% when a woman wears high heels. They also tend to impair your balance, thus exposing you to a greater risk of falling. You could end up with a broken or a sprained ankle because of that.

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This fashion comes at a price

It is hard not to feel strong, confident and sexy when you slip on a pair of high heel shoes, but it affects your feet, back and posture in more ways than one.

• High heels force your foot into a painful position and could lead to hammertoes, corns and bunions as well.
• They lead to benign growth of nerve tissues at the base of your foot, also known as Morton’s neuroma. This leads to terrible pain and numbness in your toes.
• Long exposure to high heels also increases the risk of joint pain in the ball of your foot, medically known as Metatarsalgia.
• It also adds pressure on your forefoot.
• Your calf muscles tend to contract and adjust to the angle of high heels leading them to shorten or tighten, and subsequently causing you pain.

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Should you ditch those heels?

Poorly constructed shoes or slippers with heels can wreak havoc on your feet. However, reasonable and comfortable heels can make you look elegant and cause little pain to your feet. Shorter (1 ½ to 2 inches) heels reduce the severity of such aches and pains.

Here are some more ways in which you can protect yourself from the harmful havoc your shoes wreak on your body:

• Use comfort insoles or cushions, if you cannot resist heels on a daily basis.
• Only wear high heels when you are attending events where you do not have to stand for a long period of time.
• While going for high heels, always opt for good brand names. This way you have more chances of finding ergonomically designed shoes, which would be more comfortable.

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• Go for shoes in natural materials, such as suede, leather and rubber. These would fit your feet better.
• Always try shoes on both the feet and walk around for a few seconds, before buying them.
• Shoes with pointed toes are likely to cramp your toes and cause more damaging effects. So, go for wide toe shoes.

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Now you know about the harm and damage that your loved heels are causing to your body. So, what will you be choosing next comfort or fashion? 

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