High heels are such a fashion statement and can be so much fun. But ladies beware; there are there certain injuries such as knee and hip injuries that could occur from wearing high heeled shoes.
According to the American Osteopathic Association, “High heels have been linked to overworked or injured leg muscles, osteoarthritis of the knee, plantar fasciitis and low back pain.”
The article goes on to state, ”When you wear high heels – shoes with a heel two inches or higher – your foot slides forward in your shoe, forcing the toes into the unnatural shape of the shoe and redistributing your weight incorrectly. The increased weight on your toes causes your body to tilt forward, and to compensate, you lean backwards and overarch your back, creating a posture that can strain your knees, hips, and lower back. The change to the position of your spine puts pressure on nerves in the back and can cause sciatica, a condition where nerves become trapped, triggering pain and numbness as far down as the feet.” Research shows that knee and hip injuries can happen over time and can occur from wearing high heels.
Knee Injuries
High heels can have an effect on your knees such as knee pain can possibly lead to osteoarthritis in the knee. Osteoarthritis of the knee occurs when cartilage in the knee begins to break down. As the cartilage in the joint deteriorates, the bones are left to rub together, causing pain, joint stiffness and inflammation.
Additionally, walking in high heels puts a large amount of pressure on the knee joint. The cartilage of your knee must remain well lubricated with joint fluid in order to stay healthy and strong. Stress on the knee joint limits the flow of joint fluid through the knee, thus, making the cartilage begin to deteriorate.
Hip Pain
High heels are a common cause of pain all up and down the legs such as hip, knee, ankle, and feet, lower back. This is because high heels force the body to stand and walk in a position that causes misalignment and strain. This can lead to cramping and spasm of muscle groups.
Feet cannot operate properly when wearing high heels because of the shift in your center of gravity. This forces other parts of your body, including the hips, to compensate for your feet by overworking. Consequently, the hips eventually become over-worn and ultimately lead to pain.
Spinal Pain
Wearing high heeled shoes changes alters your posture as it changes your center of gravity. High heeled shoes accentuate the forward curve of your spine and can lead to back pain and stiffness because it over-accentuates the forward curve of the spine. Over time, high heels can cause pinched nerves, nerve damage, pain and muscle weakness because they over-accentuate the forward curve of the spine.
Overall, prolonged wear of high heels can lead to various injuries. The most common injuries are knee and hip injuries.
Written by: Sharan Kaur, FizzNiche Staff Writer
References:
“The Real Harm in High Heels.” American Osteopathic Association.com .
5 Ways to Prevent High Heel Pain.” Healthline.com. .
“Do High Heels Cause Knee Pain?” Health Central.com.
“High Heels and Hip Pain.” ehow.com. < http://www.ehow.com/facts_6187971_high-heels-hip-pain.html>.
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It’s too bad that most high heels don’t take into account the long term effects. Personally I don’t wear them but they are still incredibly popular.. I wonder if women are afraid to be short?