Heels are getting higher and higher, but they can lead to everything from an ankle sprain to chronic back pain. LA Spine writes – “Your calf, hip, and back muscles play a role in how your spine lines up. Without heels, your spine is fairly straight, calf muscles will be relaxed, and your body weight is evenly distributed. With heels, your chest and lower back are pushed forward. These two movements automatically throw your hips and spine out of alignment. Express pressure on your knees can further offset spinal alignment.”
Nerves in the legs that extend to the spine, namely the sciatic nerve, can be affected by the misalignment this motion causes, often resulting in back pain.
Pressure from high heels can also lead to blisters, swelling, bursitis, bunions and Achilles tendon pain.
Switching to lower heels will help avoid the problem. The lower you go, the more natural your foot position will be.
Cure Back Pain also points out that “some men choose to wear heeled shoes or boots of various styles and might also suffer dramatic symptoms as a direct result of their choice in footwear. Remember that back pain is not a gender-discriminating health issue.”
If you have to wear heels then wear a chunky heel as they have more surface area and this distributes your weight more evenly.
However, completely flat ballet pumps can also cause problems with poor arch support. You can have insoles with ballet pumps which is something I always use.
And don’t forget those very pointed toes can leave you with bunions and possible surgery when you get older.
Many women are unwilling to trade style for comfort but it’s up to you what you decide to wear. A pinched nerve which is essentially a thickened nerve tissue can also result in the foot from repetative stress, a deformity in the foot, or ill fitting shoes or high heels.
Another common foot or heel pain that can cause back pain is a “pinched nerve” which is essentially a thickened nerve tissue, oftentimes called a neuroma. A common one is Morton’s Neuroma.
These are often a result of an injury to the foot, repetitive stress, a deformity in the foot or, most commonly for women, ill fitting shoes or high heels.
I’m a short 5ft in height and would love to wear the high heels I used to wear, but I know I can’t possibly wear them. Trainers are also good to wear but I just do not like myself in trainers and tend to wear ballet pumps with insoles.
Whatever you wear over Christmas, take care and watch out for those slippy streets when the ice and snow come our way.
Source: Cure Back Pain LA Spine
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