Wearing high heels makes the short ladies look elegant and tall, but their round-the-clock usage has some drawbacks. Standing tall leads to foot pain and foot deformities. Wearing high heels in one’s 20’s and 30’s is easy to bear, but this leads to various problems when one reaches 50 years and beyond. The common cause is the loss of fat in the sole of the foot, osteoporosis of bones (a condition that affects especially older women and is characterized by decrease in bone mass with decreased density and enlargement of bone spaces producing weakness), etc.

Our feet are designed to provide balance and strength during walking and running even over uneven surfaces. Wearing high heels alters the biomechanics of the lower limbs completely, preventing its normal functioning. Thus, wearing high heels for short periods may help the cause to some extent.

The problems commonly confronted are:

» Narrow toes/tight shoes increase pressure especially on the ball of the foot, causing pain. Using high heels causes the pressure on the matching area.

» High heels can cause painful bunions — a long protusion/ hump at the ball of the big toe causing defect wherein great toe moves towards other toes.

» High heels could lead to the formation of corns and calluses. These are thickened layers of dead skin due to the constant friction of shoes on the skin.

» Wearing high heels also leads to hammer toes wherein the affected toe curls under, leaving the top to rub against the shoes.

» Wearing high heels for prolonged periods leads to the shortage of the calf muscles causing calf pain and tend Achilles (pain at the back of the heel).

» High heels increase the risk of stress fractures and osteoarthritis of the feet.

The following measures can help protect the feet:

» Silicon pads can act like a cushion to the feet, help absorb shock and thus relieve pain.

» Long/pencil heels could make one prone to lose balance. Falling off a high heel could cause serious injuries like ankle sprain and heel pain. Thick/ broad small heels help maintain stability.

» Towel curls — placing a small towel on the floor and curling it repeatedly using toes.

» Big toe pulls — placing a thick rubber band around both big toes and pull the big toes away from each other, holding for five seconds, repeating it 10 times.

» Marble pick-up — Place 20 marbles on the floor. Using your toe and next finger to it pick up one marble at a time and put it in a small bowl. This will help immensely.

Conclusion: Experiencing constant pain in the foot/ leg muscles or noticing any deformity should alert the women wearing high heels constantly. Taking appropriate precautions and initiating early treatment can avoid life-long agony and pain.