High Heels- Hell for your back & legs

Do you often feel pain in your toes , calf muscles , knees and low back when you have had a long day in those heels. Here is a picture depicting what happens when you wear these heels for long durations.

1. Hammer toes & metatarsalgia - this is one the most common finding that we see in females who have worn heels for a larger period of time in their life. Your toe assumes the shape of hammer giving pain in the middle part of the joint. The metatarsal heads of the toes bear all the weight that has to be borne by the complete foot, and it leads to metatarsalgia.

2. Bunions- If the heels you are wearing are pointed in shape they tend to create a medial force on toes creating painful bunions.

3. Shortened calf muscles- Wearing heels put your calf muscles (majorly gastrocnemius & soleus ) in a contracted state till the time you are wear. If one does not stretch the muscle regularly the calf muscle develops contracture and give chronic calf pain.

4. Pressure on the Knee- Wearing heels shifts the body weight forward which creates tension on the knee joint line and also on the back of the knee as it overstretched. Continuous usage can hence damage your knees.

5. Low back ache- Since the body is pushed forward spine and hip becomes out of alignment and it increases both anterior pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis , which can end up as lower cross syndrome. This will ultimately give chronic low back pains.

Solutions

1. Stretch your calf muscles regularly especially before and after wearing heels. Do this stretch 3 times , hold for 15 seconds on each leg.

2. Buy your heels in the afternoon as your foot size is largest at that time.

3. Try and avoid pointed heels completely.

4. Limit your time for wearing heels.

5. Take a contrast bath for your legs , if you have worn heels for more than 3-4 hours on a stretch.

6. Keep changing your footwear, don't get stuck to one type .

7. Try to keep your limit to 2-3 inches , as more the inches more is the amount of strain your putting on your legs.