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High heels: what are the effects on women’s health?

High heels: what are the effects on women’s health?
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Whether it’s because of social pressure or a commitment to fashion, at work or for events, women often feel obliged to wear high heels. Ladies, be aware that regularly wearing heels has negative consequences for your health. These health problems can affect the feet and joints such as the knees, the hips or even the spine. Here are the difficulties that high heels can cause, and some advice to avoid such problems! 

Wearing heels: what are the health consequences?

Forget the phrase “beauty is pain” -it’s a myth. By contrast, the less you are grimacing, the more beautiful you are!

Nowadays, because women want to wear heels (or because they must, for certain jobs), women suffer 4 times more foot problems than men! Are women more likely than men to put their appearance before their health? Here are the health problems that can be directly linked to regularly wearing heels.

  • Hammer toe

Hammer toe or claw toe generally appears after the age of 50, following regular use of high heeled shoes which have crushed the toes. Over the years, high heels have forced the toes towards the front of the shoes, which ends up deforming the toes. Stuck in flexion, the affected toes start to look like a hammer or a claw.

  • Bunions

Also called hallux valgus, a bunion is a deformation of the big toe that turns abnormally inwards towards the second toe. It is characterised by a painful bony protrusion, due to wearing poorly fitting shoes or high heels. Bunions mainly affect women (95%). High heels are seeming more and more problematic….

  • Metatarsalgia

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Metatarsalgia is pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot, and is linked to displacement or subsidence of the metatarsals. The metatarsals are the bones connecting the ankles and heels to the toes.

If you tend to be standing for long periods, especially in heels, or if you walk for a long time, you may feel a burning sensation in the ball of your feet. This is metatarsalgia. In this case, the toes can also turn claw-like.

  • Tendon problems

Wearing high heels puts pressure on your leg muscles, especially the calves, and this regular tension can cause very painful inflammation of the tendons.

  • Falls and even fractures

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Keeping your balance in high heels is more difficult than in flat shoes. Falls and fractures are more common in women because of wearing high heels.

  • Knee problems

By frequently wearing high heels or poorly fitting shoes, you run the risk of precocious arthritis -that is a deterioration in the knee cartilage, or an inflammation of the joints due to increased pressure on the knees.

  • Back pain

If you suffer from back pain and you often wear high heels, look no further -your heels are sure to be the cause. In fact, being in heels promotes poor alignment of the hips and spine, from where the pain can originate.

  • Muscle pains

Do you often have pain in your leg muscles? When you wear high heels, the muscles in your legs contract and that can become painful if this continues throughout the day or night.

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How can you avoid suffering as a result of your high heels

  • Consult a podiatrist who will prescribe you orthopaedic shoes or specialised insoles, tailored for your feet.
  • Wear heels that are less than 3 centimeters high, and shoes that support the feet well.
  • Wear platform shoes with less than 3 centimeters of height difference between the front part and the back. Don’t run or walk long distances in heels. 
  • If you must wear heels, sit down regularly for a few minutes and allow your feet to rest. If you can, from time to time, in the course of a night out for example, take off your shoes and put your feet on the ground, stretching out the muscles and tendons in your feet.
  • Don’t buy shoes that are too narrow or tight, your toes should be comfortable when you walk.

Sources : Améliore ta SantéJournal des Femmes