Women Step it Up

Oh, ladies! What you do to your feet over a lifetime can lead to significantly altering your foot structure and function. Wearing heels and pointed shoes makes you shift your stance and body weight distribution, which increases pressure on the ball of your foot, toes and arches. Yes, you can wear heels, but most experts recommend limiting high heels to special occasions or short periods of time. Many women are comfortable in and choose to wear high-heel, pointed footwear all day. Of course, during pregnancy, your feet take a toll as well. The additional baby weight gain often causes swelling, flattening arches, an increase in foot size, and fluid retention. It’s crucial to wear supportive, well-fitting shoes with cushioning and arch support during pregnancy. Over the course of time, wearing high heels, ill-fitting shoes and pregnancy can all impact your feet and ankles causing:

• Bunions, calluses, corns and ingrown toenails
• Hammertoes – toes bending downward
• Plantar fasciitis – inflammation of the tissue connecting heel to toes and causing heel pain
• Morton’s neuroma – nerve compression between the third and fourth toes
• Haglund’s deformity – bone spur at the back of the heel
• Metatarsalgia – pain in the ball of the foot
• Ankle sprains
• Poor posture
• Lower back pain
• Knee and hip strain
• Calves and leg fatigue
• Reduced balance

The longer you wear heels, the more your foot anatomy and foot mechanics change and the more risk you’ll have for permanent persistent pain and possible foot deformities. So, what can you do to reduce your risk of foot, ankle, leg and back issues? Limit wearing heels every day. Choose shoes with a wide toe box, so your toes are not jammed together and under pressure in a pointed shoe. Make the decision to switch to lower heels or flats – with the plethora of designed footwear available today, you can easily find a comfortable fashionable low heel shoe. If you do continue to wear high heels, it’s important to alternate to more comfortable footwear throughout the day to give your feet time to rest and recover. During pregnancy, resting and elevating your feet and ankles will help tremendously. Additionally, adhering to appropriate hygienic care of your feet and ankles is a must. Keep them clean and dry, and never “DIY surgery” on an ingrown nail or shave a callus. And after a long day, give yourself a foot massage or a foot soak to soothe and rest your feet and ankles.

Of course, if you have foot or ankle challenges, it’s important to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist. Your podiatrist will partner with you to create an appropriate foot and ankle healthcare plan that addresses your personal feet and ankle issues.