High Heels & Back Pain
Sometimes the cause of back pain is obvious, for example a sports injury. However… Sometimes the culprit could be surprising, such as improper footwear, especially high heels.
Why do they cause damage? When women wear high heels their body will attempt to compensate for the uneven balance they cause by flexing or forward bending their hips and spine. Heels can cause people to mimic the way a person would walk on a ramp and thus increase the pressure placed on the balls of the feet and the knees. The lower back is also pushed forward causing the hips and the spine to become dis-aligned. The changes to the posture can cause a prolonged tensing of the calves, hips and back muscles. This results in excess muscle fatigue and strain at the end of the day. Over long periods of time this can cause serious problems for your leg muscles and spine health.
The height of the heel can also determine the weight carried be the footwear. As the height of the heel increases, so does the pressure on the ball of the foot. Stilettoes can therefore cause the most damage to your posture and overall spine health. It is therefore advised where possible to wear as lower a heel as possible!
How to help your back: If you do wear high heels take a few aspects into consideration to make sure you’re causing yourself as little damage as possible. Try and avoid wearing high heels for long periods of time where possible. If you have to commute each day it is wise to commute in flat shoes that cushion and support the natural arch of your foot and change into high heels when you get into the office. If you do wear a lot of high-heeled shoes try and opt for ones with a lower, wider heel, preferably no higher than two inches, to reduce the amount of pressure being placed on your feet and calf muscles. It can also be wise to buy shoes in the afternoon, when feet are at their largest, this will make sure your shoes will be able to accommodate for the natural expansion of the feet throughout the day.
Make Sure Not To Trip! As your balance can be more unsteady when you wear high heels it increases the possibility of you tripping over and causing yourself an injury. In consideration of this, it is a good idea to opt for shoes with a leather insole to keep the foot from slipping and provide a steadier grip when you’re walking around.