High Heels Are a Pain in the Calf

By now everyone should know the hazards of wearing high heels. High heels are associated with everything from bunions and hammertoes to lower back pain. Just this month I had three fractures resulting from stiletto injuries.

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology revealed that women who wore high heels five days a week had shortening of the calf muscle and stiffness of the Achilles tendon. The combination can cause reduced motion at the ankle joint. As a result of these factors calf pain is common when switching from high heels to flats. I recall a lovely elderly patient who came to me for pain in the ball of here feet. For the last 40 years she worked in NYC as a secretary and wore 3 inch heels daily. When I watched her walk I was amazed that she was unable to touch her heels to the ground due to 40 years of daily use of high heels.

Having been married now for 25 years I have given up trying to influence the use of heels in my house. All I can do is suggest wearing high heels in moderation. There are several exercises that can be done to minimize the damage they cause. If you would like to learn more please see my video:
http://howcast.com/videos/510231-How-to-Avoid-Foot-Pain-and-Injuries-from-Wearing-Heels-Foot-Care

There are a lot of over the counter products available help to reduce the damages caused by high heels. Silicone and foam sleeves for the toes, metatarsal pads to cushion the ball of the foot, and innersoles for heels work well. We recommend footsupplystore.com for these types of products.

If your feet are suffering from the current daily use of high heels or have been damaged as a result of long term use, we can help. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.

On muscle, tendon and high heels R. Csapo, C. N. Maganaris, O. R. Seynnes and M. V. Narici
doi: 10.1242/jeb.044271 August 1, 2010 J Exp Biol 213, 2582-2

For products related to the above blog we recommend footsupplystore.com. If you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians at KBF Foot and Ankle Surgeons please call our office (numbers below) or fill out the contact form and we will contact you.