Shoes adds confidence to your style, the way you balance yourself by wearing pencil heels, the way you handle slippery flip flops, and the way your attitude is reflected by wearing long boots are marvelous but wait, did you often feel pain in your heels after taking your shoes off?
Do you ever notice the back pain while standing for long hours? Are you experienced in falling down due to the slipping off the shoes? Though, your secret is revealed, you’re doing shoeicide for many years unintentionally and carelessly.
Stylish and comfortable shoes compliment to our personality. When we shop for the shoes, our utmost priority is to get the best shoe of the store and for achieving this target, we spend hours and hours for the search of the perfect shoe, whose straps should be fine, sole should be soft, arches should be well supported and heels should be reliable.
It’s not a bad idea, if we try our shoes before buying it and if you can walk in the same pair of shoes, then we can assess it more easily rather it’ll be according to our expectations or not.
Different footwears has different effects on the structure and function of our foot. Due to the faulty footwear, your foot is not only affected, but your knee and hip joint along with the spine are also exposed to the structural abnormalities. These abnormalities will interfere with your mobility. So, ergonomically correct shoes should be encouraged for preventing the placement further stress on the body.
1. Traitor: high heels
Source: urbanasian.com
With the days, heels are getting higher and higher. We all are wearing the high heels to add the more glamor in our personality, but their adverse effects are detrimental. After attending any party with wearing ultra high heel shoes, you often feel pain in your heels, supported by the swelling. But what other devastation do high heels do to your foot’s health? Well, here is the list of the further complications,
1. Heel bumps:
Source: webmd.com
When a painful knot develops at the back of the heel that is called as the heel bumps, they’re achy and tender. Heel bumps are dangerous for our heel’s health because it can lead to the swelling, bursitis, and blisters.
– What can you do?
Source: searchhomeremedy.com
You can wear the orthotics to get the relief from the pain. Application of the Ice on the heel bump can reduce the inflammation too. Heel pads are another good source of preventing the heel bumps. Thus, you can break the bony protrusion of your heels if you take the precautionary measures earlier.
2. Abnormal foot position:
Source: webmd.com
Constantly wearing the ultra high heels alters your foot’s anatomy.
When you wear the ultra high heels, it inclines your foot position and it looks like a slope made by your misaligned foot’s structure. When this slope-positioned-foot remains constant in this position, your entire body’s weight is transferred to the ball of the foot and it puts entire pressure on the toes of your foot. If this pressure is continuous, then the nerves around the joints of the foot will cause inflammation.
Caution: If you don’t taper down the high heels stress now, it will result in the hairline fracture of your foot’s bones.
3. Ankle sprain:
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Pencil heels are the traitors of making your ankle sprained. When you roll at your feet, the most common sprain occurs is the lateral ankle sprains which stretches the ankle ligaments and make you bed bound for some days.
Mild or moderate ankle sprain is not too much painful and cause less damage, but the severe ankle sprain ruptures your ligament and causes severe pain. As a side effect, ankle sprain also increases the risk of developing the osteoarthritis and fractures in the ankle.
– What can you do?
Source: healthtap.com
Immobilize your ankle joint and don’t do any activities until unless your ankle joint is not properly healed. Consult with the physical therapist to teach you the exercises for strengthening your muscles of the ankle.
2. Traitor: Ballet flats
Source: poshmark.com
Rather we opt for the classy pumps or for the strappy flat sandals; all of the ballet flats have no arch supports along with the thin soles. Though, we find these types of shoes as one of the most comfortable shoes but they’re not good for prolonging standing.
Most of the foot pain occurs due to the wearing of the ballet flats in the daily routine. Apart from the painful foot, the archless ballet flats also offer back, hip and knee pain leading towards many muscles related problems.
– What can you do?
Source: playbuzz.com
If you’re the true ballet flats, lover, you’ll always get attracted with their new style. Hence, if you want to reduce their destructive effects, then place the shoe inserts in their soles to prevent the foot pain.
Furthermore, you can also provide extra support to your heel by placing heel pads in the ballet flats. Orthotics also supports the arch of the foot and lessens the stress on the pressure points of the foot.
3. Traitor: Flip flops
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Yet, flip flops are the most suitable option for enjoying the toe-wiggling freedom but they’re not too much supportive to help us in preventing the slip hazards. Undoubtedly, they’re easy to wear and somehow comfortable but if their soles are hard then they could become the enemy of your foot’s health eventually. What happens when you wear prioritize flip flops over other footwear? To get the answer, read the below description,
1. Plantar fasciitis:
Source: dr.tearaashby.com
Our soles have the flat band of the connective tissue, connecting the heel bone to the phalanges (toes); this band is known as plantar fascia. It is responsible for maintaining our arch and transfer our weight from the foot to the ground evenly but if this fascia is inflamed or ruptured then this condition corresponds to the plantar fasciitis.
Flip flops aggravate the plantar fasciitis pain due to the less arched and thin sole structure. Most of the plantar fasciitis sufferers reported that the heel pain is increased after wearing the flip flops.
2. diabetes complications
source: keycompounding.com
Diabetes survivors should avoid wearing the flip flops in order to prevent the severe complications. But how can complications be enhanced after wearing the flip flops?
Diabetic survivors have the poor blood supply in their foot and thus, if they’re exposed to the cuts or scrapes then the wound will not get healed properly and it’ll complicate diabetes to some extent.
– What can you do?
source: arthritisselfmanagemnet.com
Wear the diabetic shoes or pressure sole shoes for off-loading the heel from your body’s weight. Do the ankle pumping exercise regularly for reducing the swelling in your legs. Avoid wearing the flip flops as much as possible, especially those slippers which are made up of with rubber soles.
3. faulty biomechanics of the foot:
Source: houstonfootspecialists.com
Regular wearing of the flip flops results in the impaired biomechanics of your legs. The main drawback of the flip flops is that they encourage the shorter footsteps and wider ankle angle.
The flip-flop wearers try to maintain the grip of the flip flops with the help of toes and they develop faulty biomechanics as a compensatory effect. Consequently, your heel pain will be continuous and constant.
4. Frequent falls
source: mastercorp.com
While wearing flip flops, the risk of the slip-off is also increased, this anyhow contributes in the frequent falls. Impaired balance and falls are co-related. If the balance is disturbed, it’ll lead towards the falls and if the falls are repeated over and over again then that’ll break your bones. In short, the flip flops also draw you towards the fractures.
– What can you do?
source: drdandrapacz.wordpress.com
The flip flops should be replaced with the fitted flops for providing the greatest amount of arch support, long lasting cushioning effect and comfortable soles. The advantage of the thick soles is that they keep us away from the debris by lifting the foot’s level above from the ground as compared to the thin soles.
4. Traitor: Wedges and platform shoes
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Both of them are thought to make our personality more stunner and glamorous but their disastrous effects are notorious. The hard footbed of these shoes stabilizes your foot’s small joints in one place, you can’t flex too much the foot. Thus, it’ll increase the pressure on the metatarsal bones (midfoot) and make it vulnerable towards many diseases.
1. Midfoot fractures:
Source: eastpennfoot.com
Why wedges are leading towards the fractures? The continuous inclined position of the foot puts excessive strain over the joint and eventually, it weakens the bone mineral density of the foot’s bones. When your foot is hit by any forceful object, it’ll produce cracks in your midfoot (the metatarsal bones). All this happens due to the greater heel position than the toes, which produces an asymmetry in the foot.
2. Neuromas:
Source: clodwercin.wordpress.com
This term corresponds to the benign nerve tumors; occurring when the toes are squeezed and the pressure on the forefoot (toes) is optimized.
If you’ve noticed the initial symptoms of the Neuroma including pain in the foot and toes, tingling and numbness in the ball of the foot, swelling in between the toes and intense pain when weight is transferred to it, then stop using the wedges or platform shoes and seek medical attention immediately.
– What can you do?
source: webmed.com
Though, flatter platforms are not the accurate substitute for the wedges or platform shoes, but it can somehow reduce the quantity of strain placed over the joints of the foot. However, you will have to tolerate the thick sole of the foot but this option is far much better than the platform shoes.
5. Traitor: pointed toe shoes
Source: aliexpress.com
Yet, our foot looks narrow after wearing the pointed toe shoes. We often find pointed toes in heels, ballet flats, and khussas, but due to the improper heel to toes ratio, it’ll place pressure directly on the forefoot (toes) of the foot rather than the heel. You may be familiar with the following after effects of wearing pointed toe shoes:
1. Bunion
source: dailymail.co.uk
Due to the abnormal pressure and movement of the big toe, a painful lump will be developed at the base of it. Another cause of the bunion formation is just because of the joints displacement from their original position. Pointed toe shoes are the culprit for making the bunions among the women most commonly.
2. Hammertoes
Source: drtimmaher.com
When the high-heeled-narrow-toe-box-shoes transfer too much body weight on the toes, it acquires the claw toe shape and produces discomfort in walking. Downward bent toe, inability to flex your toes and difficulty in walking are the hallmarks of the hammer toes.
– What can you do?
source: barkingdogsshoes.com
Instead of opting for the pointed toed shoes, select the wide toe box shoes. They’ll not squeeze the toes and lessen the weight transference in the toes.
6. Traitor: Minimalist shoes
source: ec21.com
It is truly right that the experiments are endless and minimalist shoes are the results of the experiments, these are among that kind of shoes who can offer the feel of going barefoot. From the doctors to the Yogis, all the medical professionals are convinced by the benefits of the barefoot.
Minimalist shoes are created due to provide the similar effects like barefoot but still there is a lack of arches to support the proper walking pattern. Some reports also suggested that they also keep the toes apart for longer duration.
– What can you do?
Source: groupon.my
Simply, replace the minimalist shoes with the rocker bottom shoes; they facilitate walking, offload your excessive weight from the ground and minimize the risks of joint pain.
7. Traitor: long boots
Source: lauriebrown.net
Long boots works as the protective wear but thanks to fashion industry who makes this style as the latest trends. Long boots are the all-time-favorite option in the winters especially if you’ve planned for visiting the hilly areas, these boots should be kept in your luggage begs first. But it also gives rise to the abnormal changes in the foot, including,
1. Damaged Nerve
source: galleon.ph
Because boots are too tight and place compression on the nerves around the joints, it damages the nerves of the foot. If the compressive force is constant, it’ll produce numbness and tingling sensation in your foot, indicating that the nerves is getting effected now. Thigh knee boots can affect your nerves around the knee joint which causes the foot drop.
– What can you do?
source: advicefromatwentysomethings.com
Short boots are the most appropriate substitute of the long boots. Your knee will be intact and it prevents the foot drop.
After reading this, you might be thinking that why you should know the effects of our favorite footwear on our foot; well, our mobility is highly dependent on the proper functioning of the foot and if we don’t avoid to wear the faulty footwear, our mobility will be automatically compromised.
Do you have experienced, life after wearing the plaster cast in your legs? Most probably, you’re told to take the complete bed rest and after proper healing of the wound, you can continue your walk. Regardless whatever the cause is and which part of the leg is affected,if your foot’s function is compromised, you can’t resume your mobility.
So, try to opt for the comfortable footwear, having a proper arch, soles and supports for maintaining your foot’s health. And don’t stick to one type of shoes like if you’re wearing high heels in your daily routine then leave them for some weeks and opt for other options. This solution will eventually break the adaptation of the foot’s structures towards the particular stress. hence, buy the pair of shoes after its complete inspection.
The post Shoe-icide: Trending shoes ruining our foot’s health appeared first on Fable Feed - Your Online Story & News Channel by Azka Zaheer.