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High Heels… are they Cramping my Style?

High heels.  Are they cramping my style?

Let’s face it; sometimes a great outfit requires some awesome shoes that may not be the best for your feet and body, but perfect for your style.  However, vanity aside, our desire for style may be putting our bodies at risk for injury.  Bunions, sore knees or low back? Maybe it’s time to check out how often those 4-inch heels are on your feet.  Even though you may know that you are going to regret wearing those shoes tomorrow, sometimes fashion comes at a high price.  Studies have shown that these shoes can be costly in more ways than one, taking their toll on your spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet, while altering your posture and gait. Take a look at this picture which sums it up at a glance the havoc these beautiful shoes wreak on our bodies!

What High Heels do to the Body

Top 5 Conditions caused by High Heels:

1- One of the most common foot problems that we as physiotherapists see are the Dreaded Bunions. Not only can they be painful, the chronic inflammation and progressive deformity can cause all kinds of trouble higher upper in your knees, hips and back. A tight and narrow toe box from high heeled shoes, as well as the angle and pressure that the big toe must sustain, changes the normal mechanics of this joint leading to irritation and bony changes.

2- Hammer Toes are another issue. That cramped toe box and angle again is destructive to the normal mechanics of the rest of your toes and causes a curling or bending of the toes so that the joints become prominent superiorly.

3- Pump Bump – The abnormal foot position from heel wearing makes the back of the heel bone prominent, and become a source of irritation against the back of the shoe. This can lead to an altered gait due to pain and weakening of the Achilles tendon at its insertion into the heel.

4- Metatarsalgia – Wearing heels causes most of your weight to be on the ball of the foot. Those middle foot bones don’t like this and it can result in a condition called metatarsalgia.  which is inflammation of the metatarsal bones/joints and pain in the ball of your foot. As heel height increases so does pressure on the ball of the boot. Some people develop thick calluses on the bottom of the foot that can also be painful. Often people with bunions and hammer toes will develop metatarsalgia from abnormal foot biomechanics. Ongoing and significant pain on the ball of the foot can cause stress fractures and ligament rupture.

5- Mechanical problems elsewhere in the body – High heels cause a shortening of your Achilles tendon which can lead to chronic tendinitis.  Furthermore, the uneven load on your knee joints which can lead to early degenerative changes and osteoarthritis.  High heels also cause an increase lordosis or curve in your low back which sets your lumbar spine up for injury and/or bony changes from the uneven weight distribution.

Restricting the time spent in high heels leads to happier feet.  Treat your feet well; after all, they are the only pair you get!

 

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COVID-19 SAFETY

Easthill Physiotherapy + Acupuncture Clinic has protocols to ensure the utmost safety for our patients, team and community. We have worked hard to protect our public health during this pandemic. Medical masks are mandatory for all staff and patients to keep everyone safe, and we appreciate your commitment.

We continue to follow the guidelines and protective measures indicated by our regulatory boards and governments. Our team has also had extensive training on our new protocols, and we are all 100% committed to ensuring our patients’ safety.

This is the new normal.

All patients and staff will be screened before each visit. Unfortunately, anyone showing signs of respiratory infection will be unable to come into the clinic. We will encourage and book virtual physiotherapy appointments for those that need help but are symptomatic if a client is at greater risk or for anyone who is not comfortable coming into the clinic.

We have the highest standards for hand hygiene and cleaning. All equipment and rooms will be disinfected after each use, frequently touched surfaces will be sterilized, and personal protective equipment will be used in all appropriate situations. Patients and staff will have hand washing stations to ensure proper frequent hand hygiene.

We also understand that it is necessary to reduce the risk of transmission with physical distancing. To do this, we have installed plexiglass barriers, reduced the number of appointments available by spreading them out and designed an optimal patient flow that minimizes contact with other patients and staff before and after appointments. Our team is also committed to practicing these as measures of hand hygiene and physical distancing outside the clinic to be safe when they return to work.

Although it may seem different with the steps we need to take, the Easthill Physiotherapy + Acupuncture team is still the same! We still believe in the same values and are here to provide an extraordinary physiotherapy experience. This is not going to change. Our goal is to keep all of us healthy and happy.

Our fabulous admin team is available to book in-clinic appointments now. Or if you prefer a virtual physiotherapy visit, we can book that too. Please call us at 250-545-2922 to book an appointment or if you would like more information.

Chris Burk + Rob McMillan
Owners, Easthill Physiotherapy