Wearing high heels is considered a fashion necessity. But haute couture footwear – stilettos, pencil heels and the likes – have negative health implications and restrict the movement the high heels force, implying that it is more of a lifestyle choice than a fashion choice. And this choice has a bearing on the person’s health, experts say.
How high heels disrupt posture
When we wear high heels the pressure is unevenly distributed and most of the body weight falls on our feet and lower limbs. This puts uneven stress on the major joints like the ankles, knees and hips.
Many people don’t experience pain in the beginning. So they continue wearing high heels. However, the postural stress will, over time, lead to side effects and deformities.
“People who have been wearing heels for a long time are also prone to posterior pelvic tilt (it occurs when pelvis is tilted backwards out of its proper position) and bunions (a bump that forms outside of the big toe) as most of the pressure falls on the big toe,” says Avani Agrawal, founder of TheRehabStreet, and a consultant orthotist at Fortis Memorial hospital, Gurgaon.
If we are continuously pushing on a joint in one direction, it gets stiff and tends to lose its mobility in the opposite direction. High heels put more pressure on the major joints and put the load on the big toe, causing bunions.
Wearing heels for prolonged periods causes strain on the knees and lower back. It makes the ankle unstable, prone to spraining and increases the risk of falling and fracture.
“Wearing high heels like pencil and stilettos causes abnormal pelvic tilt resulting in shortening of the hamstring,” says Dr Abhishek Jain, consultant orthopedic and foot and ankle surgeon at Delhi Foot, New Delhi. “It makes the big toe joint unstable and vulnerable to early arthritis.”
Wearing heels can also disturb the foot arch, trigger plantar fasciitis (pain in the bottom of the heel) and add stress to the knee joint. A minor pelvic tilt can lead to lower back ache.
High heels and leg pain
It is advised to not stand for long durations while wearing high heels. It, invariably, leads to leg pain.
“Heels tighten up the posterior compartment of our foot/leg and the calf muscles, leading to leg pain and other health implications,” says Agarwal. “Calf muscles help to pump blood against gravity. If they tighten up it won’t allow to pump blood against gravity.”
While wearing stilettos the muscle above the feet gets tight. It can also restrict blood flow which can cause a deep-vein thrombosis. It affects a person more when they are dehydrated or suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Say bye to the pain and wear your heels
Those who still want to wear heels can opt for block heels or wedges because the pressure is relatively more evenly distributed compared to stilettos and pencil heels.
“Using insoles while wearing heels can help distribute the pressure equally,” says Agarwal. “These are of help to those who wear heels on a regular basis or they can lower the height of the heel.”
Wearing heels daily while travelling or walking is not recommended. Use flats while commuting, suggest experts. Exercises can be performed to strengthen the weak muscles of the core and limbs to improve and maintain optimum posture.
Takeaways
- Wearing high heels can lead to leg and back pain.
- Using insoles and going for block heels or wedges instead of stilettos help reduce the undue load on joints caused by uneven distribution of pressure.
- Use flats while doing daily commute or walking.
