Contributed by – Healthians Team
Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world – Marilyn Monroe.
Footwear sure plays a very important role in a woman’s life, especially a good pair of heels is a must for every wardrobe. Don’t we all love wearing those sky high shoes?
Heels improve the physical appearance and makes us look much more attractive. Ranging from an infinite collection of amazingly attractive pairs, heels have a personality of their own. Heels are not just few inches of accessory under the feet but mean a lot more to it’s owner.
No matter how much we love heels there is no denying the fact that wearing heels regularly can have a lot of side effects on health. The very wise words of the famous french designer Christian Louboutin, “Heels are pleasure with pain” holds true in all aspects.
Wearing heels leads to a lot of health issues or put in better words are hazardous to our health. Heels bring with them a tower of orthopaedic problems. Let us discuss how regular use of these pretty pairs of painful indulgence can affect your health.
Postural Imbalance
Wearing high heels on a regular basis can have a lot of side effects, postural imbalance being a major one. What happens is that when you wear heels the center of gravity which falls through the ankles of your feet shifts to the balls of the toes and cause the imbalance. It often leads to twisted ankles due to lack of balance and pain in the feet due the the elevated posture which is actually unnatural.
Disfigurement of toes and nails
Heels with pointy fronts affects the normal fan shape of the toes as it gets compromised and adjusts accordingly due to lack of space. The maximum pressure comes on toes and causes disfigurement. To compensate the shape the soft tissues bend and the nails start taking the shape of the pressurized footwear. Bunions are another painful side effects of their stylish charms.
Pain in hamstring and quadriceps
The natural or anatomical position of the body is when the feet are flat on the ground. The joints bear maximum load in this position. While wearing heels the feet gets inclined and to maintain the body balance the hamstrings and quadriceps start working in concentric activity. They contract to maintain the joint stability which leads to overuse and tiredness.
Osteoarthritis
Long hours of high heels lead to regular wearing and tearing of the cartilage of the knee joint and small joints of the feet. This in turn leads to pain and swelling, research shows that high heels are one of the major culprit behind the increased number of cases of osteoarthritis in females in comparison to men.
Back pain
Wearing high heels on a regular basis tend to worn the hip muscles and cause them to contract more and the back muscles take the compensatory curve. The lower back is pushed forward taking the hips and the back out of the curvature to maintain balance, it simply hinders the basic and natural physical form of a human body. This leads to back pain and several other back problems.
Solutions for you
Some simple solutions that can help deal with these health problems are:
- Choose comfortable footwear for long hours of work
- Limit the heels height to a maximum of two inches if wearing for more than 3 hours
- Add a little more variety to your footwear collection, flats can be equally chic make them a part of your style
- Avoid wearing pointed shoes on a regular basis
- The insoles of the shoes should be soft and comfortable
- Go for walks everyday to keep your muscles strong and flexible
- You do not need to give them up entirely, indulge in a fashionable pair of heels every now and then
Your health is more important than your physical appearance. So, wear your heels occasionally and always remember that good health never goes out of style.
