High heels help you walk in more confidence and GREATER PAIN!
It might be tempting to wear those sky-high stilettos to the much-awaited Christmas party. But they wreak havoc on your spine. High heels were not designed for comfort but for fashion. And fashion isn’t always at par with health and fitness. You may not realize it, but high heels disrupt your posture and cause spinal injuries. With time, these ‘fashionable’ products can make it hard for you to live a normal life.
Thus, you may have to stop wearing heels if you have back problems.
What Happens to The Body When you Wear Heels?
Shoes form the only contact between you and the ground. They support your entire body. The right shoes help with your posture, stability and comfort. Wearing high heels, on the other hand, causes the following:
- Muscles from the feet to the back are tightened
Have you heard of the plantar fascia? It is one of the main ligaments that form the arch at the sole of your feet. This ligament is connected to the calf muscles, and calf muscles are connected to the hamstrings. The hamstrings connect your lower back and pelvis.
High heels tend to stretch the plantar fascia. This causes pain from the feet to your lower back.
- You tend to use the balls of your feet to walk
You can feel your body weight and centre of gravity push forward when you stand on the balls of your feet. The upper body leans back to maintain balance and can develop pain.
How High Heels Cause Spinal Injuries?
First, let’s understand the structure of a spine.
The spine consists of bones that are stacked on top of each other. There are jelly-filled discs between the bones that act as cushions.
The natural shape of a spine is a gentle S-curve. This specific shape lets the blood and nerves run smoothly through the central canal of the spine.
This spine supports the entire body evenly with other ligaments and muscles. If misaligned, the spine tends to bend or flex to compensate for the imbalance.
High heels disrupt the optimal alignment of your spine. Eventually, they cause pain in the joints, vertebral discs and back ligaments. They often flatten the lumbar region of your spine, causing poor postural alignment.
High heels often cause you to lean forward. Consistently doing so transforms the natural S-curve of your spine to look like an I. This is also a sign of muscle overuse.
Which Spinal Injuries Result From High Heels?
High heels can cause serious spinal injuries such as:
- Sciatica
The sciatica nerve stretches from your lower back, through the hips, down the leg and to your feet. High heels can pinch or compress this nerve, causing pain.
- Foraminal Stenosis
The intervertebral foramen are openings along the backbone. These protect the nerves running from your spine to your legs and arms. Foraminal stenosis occurs when any one of the intervertebral discs slips, narrowing the openings and causing pain.
- Spondylolisthesis
This condition occurs when one of the vertebrae slips out of its place. High heels and other factors, such as misalignment of facet joints, can cause Spondylolisthesis.
You don’t always need surgeries or medications to regain your optimal spinal injury. Physiotherapy is also an effective treatment for spinal injuries.
How Does Physiotherapy Manage Spinal Injuries?
Physiotherapy exercises help you develop muscle strength and flexibility throughout the spine. You learn about how the spine works and the effects of high heels on the optimal performance of your spine. Patient education, after all, is an integral part of physiotherapy sessions.
Here are the key effects of physiotherapy on spinal injuries:
- Boosts the flexibility of your spine
The physiotherapist works with you throughout the recovery process. They recommend exercises to boost spinal flexibility and range of motion.
- Reduces pain
High heels cause knots in the back muscles and posture misalignment. Physiotherapy focuses on releasing muscle tension and correcting your posture.
- Restores optimal performance
Spinal injuries make it hard for you to move around. Whether you walk or bend down, everything you do is painful. Physiotherapists help you restore the optimal functioning of your spine.
In short, physiotherapy can help you recover from spinal injuries. You may not need surgeries or medications to relieve the pain. Consult with a licensed physiotherapist as soon as you notice the symptoms of spinal injuries.
Need a Physiotherapist in Brampton to Treat Spinal Injuries?
Physiotherapy First caters to each patient individually with the utmost care and precision. We assess your spinal problems to detect the exact cause. The team prescribes stretching, and flexibility exercises specific to your spinal injury. Our team also guides you with what type of heels you should wear, for how long and how often. We formulate a maintenance program to make sure the spinal problems do not recur.
