Killer pumps: Dangers of high heel shoes

Think you need a new pair of high-heeled bejeweled Louboutins? Think again. Many women are obsessed with high heels even if they are painful. Many of them think that high heels indicate higher status. However, this status is worthless if old age is filled with leg and back pain. Experts and doctors have been discussing the reasons why women should stop wearing heels and replace them with comfortable shoes.

Wearing heels brings your whole outfit together and makes your legs look taller and slimmer, but it also can make your ankle ache, says Dr. Nadia Saleh, an orthopedic doctor at Takhasusi Hospital in Riyadh. “Sprained ankles, hammertoes, nerve damage and even knee arthritis are other common problems linked to wearing high heels regularly,” she said.

Saleh says high heels are bad for the body, as they put pressure on one part of the body, requiring the rest of the body to adjust. “Wearing high-heeled shoes positions the foot downward, thus placing more pressure on the forefoot. This position lowers half of the body and makes it extend forward towards the toes. The chest also has to stretch backward to maintain balance, thus affecting the standard posture. As a result, many women who wear high heels often complain about back pain,” she explained.

In fact, wearing high heels can lead to the flattening of the lumbar vertebra (one of 5 vertebrae in the human vertebral column), adds Saleh. “The area in the lower back receives the most stress when wearing heels, especially since it gets pulled backward. This can cause a displacement of the thoracic spine, which is the area in the mid and upper back. Since the upper part of the body leans forward, the body tries to maintain its balance by decreasing the forward curve of the lower back. This position is unhealthy and it leads to lower back pain,” she said.

Wearing heels also affect your walk, she added. “Women tend to think that when it comes to heels, the higher they are, the better they look. This thought is completely wrong for high heels affect the walk. The whole body puts pressure on the forefoot, making legs unable to apply balanced strength on the ground when walking. This in turn puts pressure on the hips and muscles in the legs, making these muscles work harder to move the body forward. Also, since the knees remain bent, it affects the knee muscles as well.”

A British study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology stated that women who wear high heels on a daily basis had a 13% shortening of calf muscles and a noticeable thickening of the Achilles tendon, making it painful to stand on the ground barefoot.

Another study, which was presented in the annual meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics in 2010, stated that high heels increased the compression inside the knee, creating additional joint pain and strain.

“Wearing heels also altered the women's posture, forcing their ankles, knees and hips into unnatural positions that increased their risk for joint degeneration and osteoarthritis,” stated the study.

Arab News asked a number of women if they would switch shoes to save their feet. Eight out of 10 women said they would never give up their stilettos and switch to flats while two said they would go for stylish ballerinas and spare the heels for special occasions.

“We women know that heels are bad for our spine and bones, but it’s just like our bad eating habits and addiction to sugar; we can’t seem to kick the habit of high heels,” said 23-year-old graphic designer, Hawazen Jazzar. “I believe that heels make our outfits look complete and give it this feminine and girly touch even if we’re just wearing jeans and a T-Shirt.”

Knowing the effects of high heels by heart will not make women give up high heels, says Saleh. “I will not ask women to completely give up the idea of wearing high heels, I just ask them to wear them during special occasions. Wearing high heels repeatedly can cause chronic ailments, so I only recommend a heel with a height of 1.5 inches for daily purposes,” she added.