Avoid 'high heel consequences'

With the ability to enhance the figure and increase height, high heels are almost an indispensable accessory for women - Photo: QUANG DINH

However, according to doctors, wearing high heels for long periods of time puts pressure on many parts of the body, especially the musculoskeletal system.

Ms. NVT (34 years old, living in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) complained that her height is quite modest, only about 1.50m. Therefore, when going out, Ms. T. prefers 9-10cm high heels to feel confident. Ms. T. said that because she wears high heels all the time, her feet often hurt in the evenings.

High heels are indispensable, but...

To make her figure more beautiful, Ms. LTT (28 years old, living in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City) always has many high-heeled shoes of all styles and heights from 5-10cm in her shoe closet. Due to the nature of her job, which requires frequent meetings with customers, Ms. T. also chooses high-heeled shoes as an indispensable item when going to work or going out.

Why do women like high heels? Explaining this, Dr. Trinh Quang Anh - a rehabilitation specialist, obstetrics and gynecology department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - said: "Because high heels make the legs look longer. Wearing high heels makes the feet bend backwards, the body will bend forward slightly, making the bust and hips fuller."

However, this position will cause the pelvis to rotate forward, which will cause pain in the spine and lower back over time.

When women wear high heels, the angle of the ankles will change, the body will change the axis of the knee and hip joints, and even the spine must adjust to the new state to adapt. At this time, the body's center of gravity is not on the feet and heels as before, but is focused on the toes. However, when designing high heels, the toe of the shoe is closed, causing the toes to bend, especially the big toes, causing the big toes to bend inward.

Dr. Vo Hoa Khanh, head of the quality management department of the Ho Chi Minh City Orthopedic and Trauma Hospital, said that high heels are an indispensable fashion accessory for women, but high heels or heels that are too high (>10cm) put pressure on the feet, toes, ankles, knees, calf muscles, hips and back.

Maintaining such an unbalanced posture for a long time can cause damage to these parts. The higher and sharper the heel, the more distorted the standing and walking posture of the wearer, the more damage.

Wearing high heels for a long time can cause heel pain, causing plantar fasciitis. Wearing high heels, especially high and hard heels, increases pressure on the sole of the foot, especially the heel, over time will cause heel pain due to plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.

In addition, wearing high heels for a long time causes inflammation of the big toe joint and deformation of the big toe axis. The sharp tip of high heels causes the toes to be stuck in a narrow cavity, gradually causing pain in the toe joints and deformation of the fingers, especially the big toe. The big toe joint becomes inflamed and the big toe axis is deformed, making the foot ugly and in some cases requiring surgery to correct the big toe bone axis.

High heels that are too high change the axis of the leg and foot, putting pressure on the toes, so when walking fast or not used to walking, it is easy to lose balance. In particular, when wearing high heels going up stairs, walking in slippery environments, in the rain, riding a motorbike, it is easy to roll the ankle, causing a sprain (ankle ligament strain).

Causes damage to legs and nerves

High heels flatter your figure but put pressure on your feet, toes, ankles, knees, calf muscles, hips and back - Photo: Footdoc

Speaking with Tuoi Tre, Dr. Huynh Tan Vu - lecturer of traditional medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy (HCMC) - said that normally our feet act like springs, helping to evenly distribute weight and absorb shock to the body when standing or walking.

When wearing high heels, most of the body weight is placed on the toes. The sudden shift from heel to toe forces the foot to bend and the step to be halted. Prolonged limping can lead to damage to the bones of the foot and nerves.

In addition, when wearing high heels, the thigh muscles have to work a lot, increasing pressure on the knee joint. Meanwhile, the knee is the largest joint in the body, created to help the body be flexible.

Regular use of high heels can increase pressure on the inner surfaces of the knees, causing them to wear out quickly, leading to osteoarthritis, causing leg pain and spreading down to the tendons of the feet. In addition, wearing high heels can cause injuries such as tripping, broken heels due to strong impact...

For women working in offices, often wearing high heels, in addition to blood stasis causing leg pain, it also causes back muscle tension, putting pressure on the spine. Therefore, the condition of injury, back pain, and shoulder pain also increases.

Especially women with sciatica should pay attention not to wear high heels, because if they do, the condition will become worse. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, originating from the lumbosacral plexus, then running to the buttocks along the back of the thigh down the back of the calf to the heel and foot.

How to wear high heels safely?

Doctor Vu recommends that, due to the potential health risks, when wearing high heels, you should choose low-heeled or wedge-heeled shoes. This shoe design will help balance and distribute the pressure on your feet.

Note that you should add an extra layer of lining inside the shoe to create a soft feeling. Rubber lining is better because it absorbs pressure well. Limit wearing high heels and wearing heels with hard soles.

Similarly, Dr. Khanh also advises girls under 18 years old not to wear high heels because at this age, bones and joints are not fully developed, which can easily damage the cartilage and ligaments in the toes, ankles and knee joints.

To prevent the effects caused by high heels, Dr. Khanh recommends that women should not wear heels that are too high, only wear heels under 7cm.

Women should only wear high heels when necessary, such as when going to work or attending parties. They should not wear them continuously or for too long. When women experience pain in their heels, toes, calves, etc., they should not try to wear high heels anymore.

Choose shoes that fit well and are suitable, choose shoes made from soft materials, open-toed shoes and avoid pointed high heels, shoe compartments that are too narrow to have enough space for the feet and toes. When wearing high heels, use soft insoles or wear socks to reduce plantar fasciitis.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tranh-he-luy-giay-cao-got-20241011081827412.htm