Many people like to follow the latest fashions, but when it comes at a cost to your health, is it time to draw the line? Wearing high-heeled shoes is a fashion choice made by many women on a daily basis, but it is a choice that can cause many painful and debilitating foot conditions, and it’s vital to assess whether this is a price you are willing to pay.
Foot pain is a fairly common complaint, especially among women, and much of this is due to the pressure placed on the bones and ligaments of the feet by high-heeled shoes. If wearing high heeled shoes is a style must for you, it’s important to be aware of the many issues you may be at risk of developing, so that you can recognise them early on and prevent them from becoming too severe.
Foot Conditions Linked To Wearing High Heels
- Heel spurs. High heels cause the pressure of your body weight to be unevenly distributed across your feet, often leading to pain in the heel. Inflammation in this area can lead to heel spurs, which are bony growths of calcium in the heel area, and can cause intense pain as well as difficulty in finding shoes that fit. Heel spurs often occur alongside other conditions, especially Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendonitis, and the pain can be eased with ice applications, specific stretching exercises and medications. However, it is vital to consider footwear carefully, and to be aware that surgery may be considered as a last resort.
- Bunions. Bunions are bony deformities of the joints at the base of the big toes, and can be very painful and debilitating. The condition may result from wearing high-heeled shoes, since the toes are often squashed together and the weight of the body is spread unevenly across the bones of the foot. Wearing shoes that give your feet the support they need and do not put the bones under pressure is the best way to avoid bunions, but if you have already developed the condition, you will need to find shoes that are wide enough to accommodate the growth without encouraging further problems.
- Hammer toes. Hammer Toe is a condition in which the toe or toes are bent due to weakened muscles and shortened tendons. This is often a result of wearing high heels, which put pressure on the ball of the foot and on the toes. The three middle toes are most commonly affected, and the condition can make walking and standing very painful. Surgery may be considered as a last resort, but orthotic footwear and supportive strapping may also be very helpful in relieving this condition.
Wear Good Shoes to Prevent Foot Pain
The shoes you wear will have a huge impact on the health of your feet, and choosing comfort over fashion will benefit you in many ways. However, at Foot Solutions, we have a stylish range of footwear for all occasions and will be happy to help you to find the best options for you.
