For a quarter-century, Catherine Ange has worked as a seller of high-end furniture at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center. Before computers became a mainstay of the job, a typical day could find Ange bending down, standing on tiptoe or moving furniture across 22,000 square feet of showroom space — all while wearing shoes with a 3- to 4-inch heel.
“I thought, ‘I feel so good in these heels. I can sell anything. I am invincible,’ ” said Ange, 47, of Buckhead. Her feet, unfortunately, were not so resilient.
By the time she reached her 30s, Ange was feeling the pain — a sharp, stabbing pain in the ball of her foot. She tried alternating heels and flats, but soon even flats were uncomfortable. She went to a doctor for injections of anti-inflammatories. Eventually, the only thing left to treat her Morton’s neuroma — a condition that causes thickening and pain in the nerves between the toes — was surgery.
After four surgeries in three years, heels are a thing of the past. “It is no laughing matter when you can no longer wear your Chanel pumps,” said Ange, who mostly wears custom orthotic inserts in her boots or sturdy tennis shoes.
The kind of debilitating foot pain that Ange experiences is a common problem for high heel wearers, particularly women who have been wearing heels for many years.
About 25 percent of women older than 40 have severe foot problems related to shoe choice, said Katy Bowman, a biomechanics expert and author of “Every Woman’s Guide to Foot Pain Relief: The New Science of Healthy Feet” (BenBella Books, $17). The problems can range from short-term issues such as blisters and calluses to long-term structural damage to the feet or body, such as shortening of the calf muscles.
“There are a lot of people trying to work themselves out of foot pain,” said Bowman, whose book helps women understand the mechanics of the foot and explains how to transition from heels to more sensible shoes.
“We know barefoot is natural, but you can’t just take off your shoes and start running,” she said.
Bowman’s advice includes exercises to help ward off foot troubles — at least for a while, because some women seem unable to resist the lure of high heels.
“No matter what I say, they are going to [wear heels],” said Dr. Jay Spector, of Northside Podiatry, who advises wearing no more than a 2-inch heel ... ever. Serious foot pain related to high heels can develop in as little as one night or a few weeks, he said. If you must wear high heels, Spector said, wearing them for shorter periods of time, then switching to a shoe with a lower heel can help.
Margaret Lisi of Midtown, a marketing manager who’s in her mid-40s, learned just how quickly heels can hurt when a pair of new gray pumps did a number on her feet.
“I felt like my feet had been cut open,” said Lisi, describing the pain. “I walked out of my building to go home and didn’t even make it across the street. I took the shoes off and tiptoed all the way to my car.”
The next day, Lisi shoved her scarred feet into a pair of boots. “[My feet] were like little loaves of bread rising in the warm environment of my cowboy boots,” Lisi said.
Women may take such isolated experiences lightly, but anyone who consistently wears heels can experience more severe problems over time, said Dr. Jason Morris, of Primera Podiatry, a new practice opening in February that offers advanced podiatry services such as a laser center and medical foot spa.
“The most common problem for patients who wear high heels daily or more than two to three times per week is thinning of the fat pad at the ball of the foot,” Morris said.
The abnormal positioning of the foot in high heels creates pressure on the ball of the foot, which thins the protective layer of fat and leads to a painful condition called metatarsalgia, he said.
Morris uses a new treatment — an injection of the filler Sculptra — to replace the fat pad and plump the area. The treatment can last 12 to 18 months, he said.
Morris also has treated heel wearers for stress fractures and another problem, bunions, which are caused by weakening of ligaments that hold the foot bones together. Bunions are genetic, but wearing heels can speed their development, Morris said.
Bunion surgery landed Michele Caplinger, senior executive director of the Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy, in the operating room just over a year ago. After more than 20 years wearing 3-inch heels on a regular basis, Caplinger had developed painful bunions on both feet.
“The pain was gradual, but I would literally end up in tears an hour into wearing a pair of heels,” Caplinger said. “In my line of work, I have many events, and I have to dress up, so I was constantly in pain.”
She went to foot doctors at least once a year and all recommended surgery, but Caplinger was terrified. When Caplinger met Dr. Perry Julien, the pain had become unbearable. She consented to surgery and has since been pain free.
The experience made Caplinger more thoughtful about her footwear choices but not quite ready to leave heels behind. “I am back in heels,” she said. “I do find myself in better-made, more reasonable shoes. That is an easy choice to make when vanity is not a priority.”
Showing posts with label high heels and injuries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label high heels and injuries. Show all posts
Friday, February 10, 2012
Monday, August 29, 2011
Extended wear of high heels can cause foot damage
High heels make you look great, improve your figure, and are the final touch to a fashionable look, but if high heels do wonders for your appearance, they don't do a lot for foot health.
Dr. Michael Nirenberg, a podiatrist at Friendly Foot Care in Crown Point, says he doesn't discourage women from wearing high heels occasionally. "Once or twice a week is going to do minimal damage to your feet," he says. "If you wear heels over a long period of time, then you can do permanent damage to your feet and your body."
Dr. Nirenberg says that although high heels make you look taller in the short term, in the long term they cause you to become shorter as your body adapts to the shoes. He says your back will begin to curve and your buttocks expand out and you end up the same height you were without heels.
High heels also put all your weight on the front of the foot, which compresses the toes and the ball of the foot, leading to injuries such as the unlovely bunions, hammertoes or painful pinched nerves called neuromas.
And don't think you can wear high heels until you begin having a problem. Studies have shown that if you wear high heels and stop wearing them, later on you're more likely to have foot problems.
"Constant wearing of high heels change the feet permanently," Dr. Nirenberg says. "They also change the way all your joints in your body are aligned. Heels, even the small ones, cause you to fall forward, and the body compensates by contorting the back and changing the positioning of the shoulders and neck, making you prone to herniated discs. You also use the joints and muscles incorrectly, because you're not walking in a natural way. The Achilles tendon also shortens and you'll have pain whenever you wear a flat shoe. You can lengthen that tendon over time, but it depends upon how long you've been wearing high heels. A podiatrist can help."
When wearing heels, Dr. Nirenberg says the lower the heel the better. The platform sole is better than stilettos because they spread the weight more evenly over the ball and heel of the foot. "The high heel inserts help, too," Dr. Nirenberg says, "because they spread the weight and provide cushioning. Shoes should not hurt, even high heels. Make sure yours is the right size, and if your high heels begin to hurt your feet, you've worn them long enough."
Dr. Michael Nirenberg, a podiatrist at Friendly Foot Care in Crown Point, says he doesn't discourage women from wearing high heels occasionally. "Once or twice a week is going to do minimal damage to your feet," he says. "If you wear heels over a long period of time, then you can do permanent damage to your feet and your body."
Dr. Nirenberg says that although high heels make you look taller in the short term, in the long term they cause you to become shorter as your body adapts to the shoes. He says your back will begin to curve and your buttocks expand out and you end up the same height you were without heels.
High heels also put all your weight on the front of the foot, which compresses the toes and the ball of the foot, leading to injuries such as the unlovely bunions, hammertoes or painful pinched nerves called neuromas.
And don't think you can wear high heels until you begin having a problem. Studies have shown that if you wear high heels and stop wearing them, later on you're more likely to have foot problems.
"Constant wearing of high heels change the feet permanently," Dr. Nirenberg says. "They also change the way all your joints in your body are aligned. Heels, even the small ones, cause you to fall forward, and the body compensates by contorting the back and changing the positioning of the shoulders and neck, making you prone to herniated discs. You also use the joints and muscles incorrectly, because you're not walking in a natural way. The Achilles tendon also shortens and you'll have pain whenever you wear a flat shoe. You can lengthen that tendon over time, but it depends upon how long you've been wearing high heels. A podiatrist can help."
When wearing heels, Dr. Nirenberg says the lower the heel the better. The platform sole is better than stilettos because they spread the weight more evenly over the ball and heel of the foot. "The high heel inserts help, too," Dr. Nirenberg says, "because they spread the weight and provide cushioning. Shoes should not hurt, even high heels. Make sure yours is the right size, and if your high heels begin to hurt your feet, you've worn them long enough."
Thursday, December 16, 2010
High heels dangerous to women’s health
Nearly three million women suffer high-heels related injuries which need medical attention, a recent study suggests. The Sun reported that 3000 women in the age group of 18 to 65 were studied by Hot Shoes, makers of comfort footwear.
Most women twisted an ankle or tore a tendon but there were serious cases also of smashed teeth, broken bones and nasty falls. Yet, even this is not enough to dissuade 60 per cent of those interviewed for the study who said that they will continue wearing heels.
Almost 90 per cent of participants reported discomfit and ruined nights because of high heels. And 61 per cent reported sitting the night out due to the pain.
Only two per cent of those interviewed said that they did not wear high heels. Medical reports suggest that high heels could lead to foot deformities, posture problems, neck injuries and permanent damage in some cases. A 2001 Harvard study also found that high heels can set the stage for osteoarthritis of the knees.
Another study done by the shoe firm MBT claims high heel-induced injuries like twisted ankles, bunions and ingrown toenails cost the UK £29 million a year. The MBT study that included 1,000 women found that four in 10 women suffered an injury in their heels, such as falling over or twisting their ankles from wearing glamorous footwear.
A worrying trend is that women are getting cosmetic surgeries to fit into their Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choos. More than half of the 175 members of the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society who responded to a recent survey by the group said that they had treated patients with problems resulting from cosmetic foot surgery.
The society will soon issue a statement condemning the procedures, said Rich Cantrall, its executive director.
Celebrities routinely undergo such surgeries as they more than anyone develop foot problems and ugly bunions and toes due to constant wearing of high Heels. Victoria Beckham was recently in the news for such a surgery.
High heels have been in fashion as far back as 1000 BC. They were a social status symbol. Women in the 16th and 17th century took it to great heights and teetered around in 5-8 inches high shoes. They had attendants to help them move and sometimes carried stylish canes to support them. It is only in the 20th century that demand for comfortable, fashionable shoes came from liberated women. Whatever the evidence to the contrary, it is still very difficult to separate women from their high-heels as history relates.
Most women twisted an ankle or tore a tendon but there were serious cases also of smashed teeth, broken bones and nasty falls. Yet, even this is not enough to dissuade 60 per cent of those interviewed for the study who said that they will continue wearing heels.
Almost 90 per cent of participants reported discomfit and ruined nights because of high heels. And 61 per cent reported sitting the night out due to the pain.
Only two per cent of those interviewed said that they did not wear high heels. Medical reports suggest that high heels could lead to foot deformities, posture problems, neck injuries and permanent damage in some cases. A 2001 Harvard study also found that high heels can set the stage for osteoarthritis of the knees.
Another study done by the shoe firm MBT claims high heel-induced injuries like twisted ankles, bunions and ingrown toenails cost the UK £29 million a year. The MBT study that included 1,000 women found that four in 10 women suffered an injury in their heels, such as falling over or twisting their ankles from wearing glamorous footwear.
A worrying trend is that women are getting cosmetic surgeries to fit into their Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choos. More than half of the 175 members of the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society who responded to a recent survey by the group said that they had treated patients with problems resulting from cosmetic foot surgery.
The society will soon issue a statement condemning the procedures, said Rich Cantrall, its executive director.
Celebrities routinely undergo such surgeries as they more than anyone develop foot problems and ugly bunions and toes due to constant wearing of high Heels. Victoria Beckham was recently in the news for such a surgery.
High heels have been in fashion as far back as 1000 BC. They were a social status symbol. Women in the 16th and 17th century took it to great heights and teetered around in 5-8 inches high shoes. They had attendants to help them move and sometimes carried stylish canes to support them. It is only in the 20th century that demand for comfortable, fashionable shoes came from liberated women. Whatever the evidence to the contrary, it is still very difficult to separate women from their high-heels as history relates.
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