High Heels and How They Affects Back Pain - Woodbridge, VA

It’s a sad but true fact: although people love high heels, they do not always love you back. When you stand in high heels you are forcing yourself to walk on the balls of your feet. By doing this, you are shifting your entire center of gravity forward so the muscles in the back of your legs have to work extra hard to keep you upright. You will also shorten the fascia of your foot, the fibrous material that runs along the bottom of your foot and attaches at your heel/on your calf. This makes your calves get tight and they attach to your hamstrings. Now your hamstrings are tight and they attach to your pelvis so they are pulling on it causing it to rotate. Your pelvis is now rotated unnaturally for long periods of time and you start developing frequent back pain.

Is this short term or something worse?

Could be both. Let’s take a look at some of the problems that can arise from wearing heels frequently:

• Foraminal Stenosis – this is when the openings in your vertebrae that your nerves go through get smaller. This can lead to pain, numbness, and tingling down your leg.
• Sciatica – this is that pain, numbness, and tingling down your leg we mentioned above but this condition can be caused by numerous reasons including tight hip/leg muscles.
• Osteoarthritis – called “wear and tear” arthritis for good reason. In heels, you’re wearing away at areas you might not normally.
• Spondylolithesis – when your vertebrae slips out of place and rests on the one below.

The good news is how to help combat the side effects of wearing heels is easier than you think.

Mainly, stretch. Stretch all of your major leg/hip muscles before and after wearing heels. Massage and stretch the bottoms of your feet after a long day. (Sounds like a reason to treat yourself to a foot massager to me!) You can also strengthen your feet and increase their range of motion to make it easier on your body when wearing heels. Walking barefoot strengthens your feet and you can do progressively larger ankle circles for range of motion (both directions!). If you are wearing heels for a long time, bring a pair of flats to give yourself a break when you can. If you wear them often, take a break for a while so your body can rest.

When picking heels, pick ones with less of a slope as that really makes a difference in the number of pain/injuries you might get. Platforms are a great way to wear heels while not being too aggressive on your back. Pick heels that are chunky and under 2 inches. If you wear them often, make sure you have leather insoles to help prevent your heels from slipping.

Let’s be honest, high heels are part of fashion and probably always will be! Unfortunately, this can be at the expense of your back if you don’t take proper care. We hear you; fashion is worth the pain! This might be ok thinking in the short run but long term, make sure you are doing things to help relieve the side effects of wearing high heels so you don’t end up with chronic problems.