Damage to high heels: There is nothing wrong with it
Although high heels are one of the basic requirements of fashion these days, do you know what this fashion does to your health? What are the disadvantages of high heels?
The goal of the shoes we wear is to provide protection and safety for the feet and to maintain a proper gait. It turns out that problems and deformities in the palms of the feet are particularly common in women so that the possible explanation for this phenomenon lies in the type of shoe. Women wear narrow shoes with high heels, while Men wear flat, wide shoes, which are best for the palm of the foot.
Wearing high heels has become very popular among women, but do you know the most important damages of high heels to health? Here is the answer in the following:
What are the disadvantages of high heels?
High heel wear causes many damages, some of which are listed below:
- It causes an anatomical and functional change of the spine, due to improper distribution of body weight and abnormal tilt of the body.
- It increases the severity of the curvature in the spine, as the woman's body is curved by nature, and when she wears high heels, the back of the buttocks rises to the top and the center of gravity moves forward and back pain appears.
- Increases the risk of a herniated disc.
- The potential for erosion of the knee cartilage increases, due to the large weight it carries as a result of the unbalanced division of body weight.
- It causes shortening of tissues such as the Achilles tendon, although the leg appears longer the Achilles tendon, calf muscles, tissues in the back of the knee, and the front of the thigh shorten.
- The appearance of various deformities in the structure of the bones of the toes.
- Uterine damage due to narrowing of the angle between the thigh and pelvis, increased risk of bleeding during menstruation, and increased premenstrual symptoms.
- Wounds and warts in the toes and are very common high heel damage.
- The feeling of burning in the toes, which is a nervous phenomenon, due to the constant pressure of the shoes on the toes.
- Increased risk of fractures and sprains resulting from falls due to imbalance.
Valgus hallux deformity
It is one of the problems that we face in the field of orthopedic diseases caused by damage to the high heel, and it is called hallux valgus, which is a deformity in which the big toe turns outward.
In this case, bone tissue around the thumb joint grows outward and pushes the thumb towards the finger next to it, sometimes causing the thumb to rotate and push it above or under the adjacent finger. Deformities are formed in the bones and the fingers themselves, and a bulge is formed outward at the base of the thumb.
1. Causes of foot deformity
This phenomenon has many reasons, including the following:
- genetic predisposition.
- Disorders of the anatomical structure, such as flat feet.
- Increased flexibility of palm straps.
- Neurological or neuromuscular problems, such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, or arthritis.
- Wearing narrow toe and high-heeled shoes. In the short term, the damage is not noticeable and the body adapts to new conditions, but in the long term, the condition begins to worsen.
2. Treatment of the deformity of the palm of the foot
Can be a traditional treatment, such as walking shoes with a wider space in the thumb area, the use of splints and footholds stomach for orthopedic, but the effectiveness of very low roads.
The treatment that achieves the best results is surgical treatment, such as Osteotomy. This operation is very similar to fracture plastic surgery, which involves spreading the prominent bones and spreading the metatarsal head, then correcting the direction of the toe by fixing a metal pin. The operation is through an incision of about 5 cm in length.
Full recovery from surgery and being fully on the foot takes between 4-6 weeks, and requires rehabilitation and appropriate physical therapy, which includes walking with a walking aid, or crutches to maintain stability, and wearing special shoes designed to relieve pressure in the front of the foot.
Six months after the surgery, it is possible to return to wearing normal shoes. Of course, it is recommended to avoid wearing heels or narrow shoes from the front to get rid of high heel damage.
What are the pros of high heels?
Not many, the damages of high heels are more, we mention the following:
- Gives women's feet a taller, narrower, and more feminine appearance, the idea behind this design is to deceive the sense of sight, which causes the viewer to believe that the feet are longer and thinner.
- It changes appearance as it makes women look taller and palms smaller, which is more attractive and elegant.
- Strengthens the pelvic floor muscles, helps control the sphincter and prevents uterine and bladder prolapse.