Wearing high heels may be fashionable and make you feel taller and sexier, but at what price (:/)?. High-heeled shoes can cause a plethora of foot problems while impairing stability and increasing the risk of injury (yes really).
Did you know leg, back, and foot pain are among some of the more common complaints?
Long-term use can even cause structural changes in the foot itself, leading to bunions, hammertoe, and other conditions that may require surgical correction (Ooouch).
Beside, in addition to (potential) injury, high heels place excessive stress on the back and lower extremities that can profoundly affect posture, gait, and balance (not good for women who love their workouts and good performance at all ;)). Wearing high heels affects several factors;
1. Back
The normal c-curve shape of the back is meant to act as a shock absorber, reducing the weight-bearing stress on the vertebrae and pelvis. High heels cause the lumbar spine of the low back to flatten while forcing the thoracic spine of the mid-back into a hyper-curved position. To compensate for this (particularly if you've worn your heels all day and are getting tired), you will need to lean forward to release some of the pressure on your back. Poor alignment will invariably lead to the overuse of the back muscles and increase the risk of chronic back pain.
2. Knees
Knee osteoarthritis ("wear-and-tear arthritis") is very common in women. Much of that blame can be placed squarely on the use of high heels. High heels increase the distance from the floor to the knee, causing excessive knee torque (force of rotation) and compression.In high heels, the persistent flexed position of the knee will cause the tibia (shin bone) to turn inward, in part for balance. This altered position causes the compression of the medial (inner) knee, a common site of osteoarthritis.
3. Hips
The hip flexor muscles are located on the upper front of your thighs. Wearing heels forces them into a persistent flexed position. While you may thinking of this as "exercising" your hip flexors and associated calf muscles, the chronic use of these muscles can cause them to shorten and contract. And contraction of the hip flexors can lead to the progressive flattening of the lumbar spine and the development of both low back and hip pain.
4. Balance
Walking in high heel shoes can be like walking on a balance beam (:p). It takes a lot of balance and precision to navigate differing surfaces, elevations, and inclines. If moving quickly, you would need to place even greater weight on the balls of your feet to keep steady. By essentially walking on your tiptoes, you risk damage to the underlying bones and connective tissues.
5. Posture
A high heel places your foot in a plantar-flexed (downward extended) position, thereby increasing the pressure on the forefoot. This forces you to adjust the rest of your body to compensate for the shift in balance. As the lower body leans forward to maintain a center of balance, the upper body must lean back as a counterweight. As a result, the alignment of your body is thrown off, creating a stiff, unnatural posture rather than a relaxed, neutral one.
6. Gait
Normal strides involve the rolling of the foot from the heel to the ball, pushing off with the toes. When walking in high heels, the plantar-flexed position of the foot prevents you from pushing off the ground efficiently. This unnatural change in foot position causes the hip flexor muscles to work harder to propel the body forward. Your knees will also need to stay more flexed, causing your knee muscles to work harder than normal.
In my opinion there are many more downsides of wearing high heels, so I am keeping up on track with my trainers and favourite bare walking around house :) I certainly am not a person to wear high heels every day, but on some special occasions I can (but seriously, when I say special occasion - I mean it :D).
Until next time, S.
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