High heels have become a staple of women’s footwear. They help us look taller, more confident and sexy. Their popularity has led some to wonder if they’re worth the trouble they cause. The simple answer is no! High heels can cause a number of issues that could lead to pain and injury over time. In this post we will go through some of the main hazards associated with wearing high heels for a long time
By wearing heels for a long time, you are increasing your risk of suffering from foot, knee and ankle pain. In addition to this, heel wearers are also more likely to have knee problems because of the way the body is forced to adapt when wearing heels.
Joint injuries.
High heels can cause injuries to many of the joints in your foot.
Ankle sprain: when you wear high heels, the muscles and tendons around your ankles become tight. Over time, this can cause some of these muscles and tendons to pull away from the bone it attaches to. This causes pain, swelling and bruising in the ankle joint. If you have severe ankle sprains that don’t heal properly, this can lead to arthritis or permanent damage in your ankles later on in life.
Knee pain: when you walk or run on hard surfaces like concrete with high-heeled shoes on, it puts extra stress on your knees because they’re not used to supporting so much weight at once (the body typically supports most of its own weight through bones). The result is knee pain—and even knee injuries such as cartilage tears.
Leg and foot deformities.
There are a few ways wearing high heels can lead to foot and leg deformities. One of the most common is bunions, which are also known as bunionettes. Bunions occur when your big toe deviates from its normal position toward the other toes. They’re more likely to develop if you wear shoes that don’t fit properly or have pointed toes, but even if you’re not wearing anything too crazy, your feet can still start to change over time.
Bunions make it harder to walk due to pain and discomfort in that area of the foot, which means it might become difficult for people who already experience pain while walking long distances in heels—like models who need their feet perfect for their job—to do so without experiencing further complications such as joint inflammation or arthritic changes in certain areas depending on how long they’ve worn high-heeled shoes every day!
Methods of preventing and treating.
The best way to deal with the pain, discomfort and other symptoms of high heel-related problems is to not wear high heels for extended periods of time. If you must wear them for your job or other reasons, then there are things you can do to make it easier on yourself:
- Wear less-high heels. Low-rise shoes will give your feet a break from their usual shape and can reduce swelling.
- Massage your pain area. Try a massage using warm oil or cream that helps reduce swelling due to wearing high heels too often. If you have a deep muscle massager, you can use it to massage areas of pain or cramps, it is convenient and can also help you relax. But be careful not to point the percussive massager at your joints, they only apply to the muscles. Hitting your joints like knees and ankles with a massage gun can cause more pain! Additionally, stretching exercises like heel raises and toe flexes help loosen tight calves that have become overworked by being held in unnatural positions all day long (like when standing on tiptoes).
- Go see a doctor if you notice any signs of infection such as redness, warmth, fever and chills around your ankle or arch area after wearing high heels for long periods of time (more than eight hours).
So, if you’re a high heel wearer and you’ve been experiencing any of these foot problems, it’s time to start thinking about wearing flats more often. It’s not just about your feet: your joints and bones need some rest too!
