Instead of talking about sports injuries today, I thought I would get on my soapbox and discuss why high heels are bad. I'm not saying to absolutely never wear them, but everyday for 8 hours is not a good idea. When wearing high heels, a person must adjust their posture in order to accommodate the lift of the calcaneus. This adjustment occurs in the lower back (lumbar spine) and causes anterior rotation of the pelvis, which leads to back pain. Here are some facts about different heel heights:
1) a 1.9 cm heel increases forefoot pressure by 22%
2) a 5 cm heel increases forefoot pressure by 57%
3) an 8 cm heel increases forefoot pressure by 76%
In addition to causing low back pain and foot problems, high heels can also cause bunions if they are too narrow, nerve damage under the foot, and achilles tendon contractures. What the last part means is that by wearing high heels, it may chronically shorten the achilles tendon, which will lead to limited ankle motion, altered gait, and could possibly cause the achilles tendon to rupture. So, it is best to avoid high heels or limit their use to help avoid all these problems.
