Monday, August 4, 2014

Do You Have a High Heel Hangover?

Your new high heels leave your feet sore, blistered and achy … and may be causing long-term damage. Top orthopedic specialist Glenn B. Pfeffer, M.D., explains the issues in Ask the Doctor, a women's health video series produced in partnership with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Find out how to prevent foot pain...

Shoeboxes don't have warnings that high heels can be dangerous to your health – but maybe they should.

"The tighter-fitting and higher the heel, the more deformity can occur in your foot," says orthopedic surgeon Glenn B. Pfeffer, M.D., Director, Foot and Ankle Program in the Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedic Center in Los Angeles.

"When you go from a 1-inch to a 3-inch heel, the force on the front of the foot goes up seven times," he explains. "A woman is literally walking on her toes."

Pain today could mean future foot damage, such as hammer and claw toes, where the digits are permanently bent, or bunions. The painful, unsightly bumps that jut out from the base of the big toe are actually dislocated joints.

They can be caused by genetics, but commonly result from high-heeled, pointy-toed shoes that force your big toe in toward the other toes, Dr. Pfeffer says.

"A bunion isn't a growth," he explains. "It's actually an uncovering of a joint – as the toe [shifts], the joint becomes prominent."

Most women wear shoes about two sizes too small, says Dr. Pfeffer, who sees about 50 women for every male patient. They should wear heels for special occasions only, he adds.

The longer your feet are forced to adapt to shoes with abnormal forces and shape, "the bigger the problem becomes," he says.



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