Ladies, I know you love to wear sky-high stilettos.
High heels are the ultimate symbol of femininity and confidence.
But what you may not know is wearing high heels, especially for long periods of time and over the years, can destroy your body.
Yes, they can be painful even while wearing them, but countless ladies (myself included) often suffer through the pain all for the sake of fashion.
However as more and more studies are done on the effects high heels can have on the body, it might be time to reevaluate the risk.
Check out these 3 ways high heels can destroy your body.
- Ankle & Heel Problems
According to Science Daily, nearly 64 percent of women who reported hind-foot pain regularly wore high heels!
Science Daily reported:
“‘We found an increased risk of hind-foot pain among women who wore shoes, such as high-heels or pumps, that lack support and sound structure,’ says lead author Alyssa B. Dufour, a graduate student in the Institute’s Musculoskeletal Research Program.”
Yet there still seems to be a disconnect, as women still continue to rock the heels.
When the foot is shoved into a high heel, it shifts the body weight to the ball of the foot and adds pressure to sesamoids, which are the small “pea-sized” bones under the big toe, reports Medical News Today.
Try this experiment at home…put on a pair of high heels and pay attention to where your weight is – you’ll see it’s not evenly distributed among your foot – it’s all towards the front.
In addition, even if you are a pro at walking in high heels, wearing them can increase your risk of a lateral ankle sprain and can even tear ligaments if your foot rolls outward.
And let’s not forget the dreaded bunion – which literally has to be sawed off to fix the shape of your toe and held together with a metal pin.
Is it really worth it ladies?
- Claw Toes
Most high heels don’t give your toes room to breathe, and often force your toes into a strange “claw-like” position.
And with your toes jammed into the pointy end of a shoe for eight hours a day during work, your foot begins to mold to that position.
And after time, your precious toes turn “claw-like” (yuck).
Medical News Today reported:
“They add that wearing high heels regularly can also squash the toes, which forces the foot into an unnatural shape. This can cause severe pain and long-term damage, such as ‘clawing of the toes’ – when the toes contract at the middle and end joints.”
And if you wear pointy-toed high heels, it’s even worse.
Web MD reports wearing pointed toed shoes can cause nerve pain, blisters, hammertoe – and even bruises underneath the toenails!
- Back Problems
You might be surprised to learn that wearing high heels doesn’t just mess up your feet and ankles, but it spreads all the way to your back.
Wearing high heels throws off the position of your legs, which ends up throwing off the spine and causing all kinds of trouble.
Since your body is leaned forward in an unnatural position as you walk in heels, your head, neck, and back all suffer as a result.
North American Spine reported:
“Mid and Lower Back: Though these effects can be felt in the neck and head, they even more directly impact this region of the back. As with the head and neck, the issues arise because the lumbar spine (the lower back) is forced to flatten out to compensate for the forward lean caused by heels. This causes muscle overuse and affects proper arrangement of these bones, which increases strain and pain.”
So many chiropractors spend time adjusting a woman’s body after a weekend of high heels.
Next time you put on a pair of high heels, be warned about the consequences your 5-inch stilettos are having on your body.
But the good news is, you don’t have to give up high heels completely!
If you insist on wearing them, opt for smaller heels (no higher than 2 inches) and bring a pair of flats you can change into (especially when commuting and if you have a long walk).
You should also look for insoles to help alleviate the pressure on your feet.
But if it all possible, consider lessening the amount of time your feet are donned in high heels.
Ladies, still have your doubts?
Check out this 3D scan of a foot once the high heel has been stripped away and you’ll see the damage wearing high heels does to the foot.
Were you surprised to learn how harmful high heels are to the body?
Why do you think women continue to wear high heels knowing the risk?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to share this article with your friends and family to let them know the dangers of high heels!
