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Are you willing to give up high heels for your health?

Home  »News  »Health-Beauty News

Are you willing to give up high heels for your health?

05/08/2010

Most women will remember traipsing around in their mother's high heels when they were younger, graduating on to their own pair as the years passed. Right now, the two-inch heels of the past have been replaced with five-inch stilettos, which girls can be seen sporting every weekend. It's unlikely that any of these young ladies are considering the damage that they're doing to their body, but wearing high heels over a long period of time could lead to joint degeneration and osteoarthritis. And, the higher the heel, the greater the risk of damage to your body, according to new research from Iowa State University (ISU). For the research, Danielle Barkema, an ISU student, selected three different heel heights - flat, two inches and 3.5 inches – and made 15 women do walking trials. She then looked at the forces acting on the knee joint and the heel strike-induced shock wave that travels up the body when walking. The researcher found that as heels got higher, there was an increase in the compression on the inside - or medial side - of the knee, as well as changes to walking characteristics, such as slower speeds and shorter stride lengths. "This means that prolonged wearing and walking in heels could, over time, contribute to joint degeneration and knee osteoarthritis," Ms Barkema said. Lorraine Jones, podiatrist from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, agreed that stilettos are not usually a good idea. "High heeled shoes alter your posture, placing 25 per cent more pressure on your knee and hip joints, which can cause leg, knee, and back pain and potentially increase your risk of osteoarthritis, exacerbate bunions and also cause corns." If you're wondering what shoes you should opt for, something that is comfortable is usually best, she said. "The best type of footwear for everyday wear has a comfortable heel and wide toe box; the best indicator of whether a shoe is good for you is if you find it comfortable." "Ideally, high heels should be a special occasion shoe, but if you do wear them on a regular basis make sure you do daily calf muscle stretches and try to slip on a pair of trainers for your commute," she added. Posted by Carla Spuri.

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