8 Side Effects of Wearing High Heels That Women Ignore

MHI | February 21st, 2019

Every woman likes to wear high heels. Around the world for women, high heels are used as a fashion accessory. In fact, high heels are not originally made for women. According to the ancient origins, high heels were made for the male horse riders to avoid from slipping from the horse stirrups in the 9th century. In 1600s women adopted high heels as fashion. When women wear high heels the effects of high heels appeared after walking of one-hour walking.

A recent study found that wearing high heels initially strengthens the ankle muscle. Because high heels create imbalance so that later high heels weakening the same muscle. Around the world, millions of women present complaints of foot and ankle pain but women still wear high heels.

The latest study found that wearing too many stilettos can lead to more than a dozen injuries. These injuries include lower back pain, including shortened calves, altered posture, muscle fatigue, and osteoarthritis. Are these women aware of the risk associated with these killer heels? This article explores the side effects of wearing high heels.

Let's look at the 8 side effects of wearing high heels in women:

1. Lower Back Pain:

Women use high heels as a statement of fashion. If you explained the pain in your lower back, high heels might be the source of that pain. A study explains that increased weight on the balls of your feet cause your pelvis to tilt forward. To compensate it you lean backward. As a result, it produces arch in your back and it puts stress on your lumbar spine. The strain is increase with increasing the length of the heel. High heels cause unequal distribution of the weight that causes back pain.

2. Ankle Sprains:

When someone wears flat shoes the weight of the body spread on the foot equally and put low pressure on the ankle. For the glamor and attention, women wear high heels. Unfortunately, high heels cause an imbalance between the balls and heel. So that ankle becomes the fulcrum for the body. And ankle is not built to face this kind of extra pressure so as a result women fall and twisted their ankle and it is very common in the women.

So in most females, there is a high risk of ankle sprains due to the high heels. Because high heels put extra pressure on the ankles. If you are walking on even surface high heels is suitable but on a rugged and rough surface, high heels are not good. Other than an ankle sprain, fractures, bruises, and aches can occur as a result of falling. So avoid stilettos on daily basis.

3. Premature Osteoarthritis:

When the cartilage around the joints breaks down this cause swelling in the underneath bone. As a result, joints swell and they become stiff. As a result, their range of motion reduce. Long term wearing of heels can indirectly cause arthritis in many joints of the body. Knees are more susceptible. High heels put stress on the joints which affect the muscles of knees. This continuous stress leads to osteoarthritis.

4. Constricts Blood Vessels

Feet appear thinner and longer by wearing high heels. The shape of the shoes squeeze the feet into an uncomfortable position that is not a natural position. The pressure on the feet constricted the flow of the blood in the veins. Sometimes due to the more stress and pressure cause the blood vessels to break. This condition is very painful.

5. Cancer- Causing Inflammation

According to the report of the daily mail, there is a link between footwear and cancer. High heels cause inflammation in the joint that leads to some serious diseases such as cancer. Certain types of inflammation linked to the most troubling degenerative disease including Alzheimer's, heart diseases, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and it also increases the risk of cancer.

6. Damage Vocal Chord:

It is surprising that high heels can cause improper breathing and projection. This lead to damage of the vocal chord. According to the report of The Times, wearing high heels all day shallows the breathing and it damages the vocal chord. Wearing high heels makes you think less clearly by affecting your breathing pattern. It prevents you from projecting your thoughts properly. To project your thoughts, you put extra pressure on your vocal chord and it leads to damage the vocal chord. Their more focus on to balance to their weight and this way they are unable to project their thought.

7. Change your Natural Gait:

High heel wearing changes your way walk in not a better way. It changes your center of gravity. In fact, every time you walk with high heels, you are catching your self in falling. When you wear heels you are at more risk of falling so you need to maintain your balance, you need to take shorter and quicker strides. The altered gait can lead to the bone and nerve damage in your body over time. An altered gait with the increased weight on the ball of the toes leads to the damage of the nerves. High level of stress on the toenails damage the nerves of feet.

8. Foot Disorder:

Plantar fasciitis is the disorder of the feet and in plantar fasciitis, pain in heel and bottom of the foot occurs. It affects the part of the feet where the ligament attaches with the bone. It creates micro tears in the ligament and scarring and breakdown of collagen. High heels put a strain on the Achilles tendon and strained Achilles tendon creates issues like plantar fasciitis.

Adaption according to the latest fashion is now become compulsory for the women. Women wear high heel on every occasion. But first of they should think about their health. Serious injuries can disturb your life. I suggest you few tips for minimizing the risk of the injuries. Stretch your leg towards the body with a towel for 30 seconds. Strengthen the muscle of big lower leg and ankle muscle with theraband to resist the ankle as they push up. At a time balance your self for 30 seconds on one leg. All these tips help you in balance.

*****