What is the result of wearing heels and spine health?
This is not about shopping, but about health. If you are having some spine issues: leg tingling, soreness in any part of leg or foot,
has your experience been
A- made better by wearing heels,
B- made worse by wearing hells, or
C- no effect.
Just to start off, I've been seeing more leg issues, and diagnosis was stenosis, i.e., Greek for narrowing of spinal passage.
So go to research it, and most articles just copy another so very little original. Here is a random sample:
According to lab tests, flats cause 25% more impact pressure on your foot with every step than high heels do!
problems can develop because heels cause a shift in the natural alignment of your spine. The normal S-curve of the spine acts as a natural shock absorber for all sorts of areas of your body, from your hips and knees to your feet and toes. When you wear high heels, your body is thrust forward, decreasing the forward curve of your lower back. This means your spine has to distribute greater forces to other areas of your body.
The forward bending of the spine and hips causes misalignment of the spine and places excessive pressure on the knees; your calves, hips and back muscles also become tense. Excess muscle fatigue and strain accumulated from wearing heels often can also cause the calf muscles to cramp and bulge. Apart from throwing off the natural S-curve of the spine, SHI warns of anatomical changes and foraminal stenosis, a spinal nerve condition that results in shooting pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, spasms, cramping and pain that radiates through the buttocks and down the leg.
Higher heels mean more pressure on the forefoot (ball of the foot); 2 inch heels and 3 inch heels place 57 percent and 76 percent more pressure on the ball of the foot.
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) website explains that you don?t have to give up high-heels, but you do need to choose sensibly. Choose lower heels with wider bases. Heels that are an inch and a half or less are best. Wider, thicker heels will also spread the load placed on your foot more evenly. Stiletto-type heels provide poor support and three inches or higher can shorten your Achilles tendons.
Blah, blah and more. Some good but much misleading.
And then I found this:
https://saratogaspine.com/high-heels-bad-for-your-back/
The researchers did not find any significant difference in the individuals? spinal curvature when they were wearing high heels as compared to when they wore no shoes
The curvature on the spine was measured in all participants in three conditions: walking bare foot, walking with a low heel (~1.5″ tall) and walking with a high heel (~4″ tall). The results of this study showed that wearing high heels decreased the curvature of the lumbar region of the spine. This is the direct opposite of the common thoughts on the subject!
My experience is more like above, that heels help relieve leg pain. Naturally this is with opting for comfort heels, i.e., with padding, and changing height between 1 and 3 inches, with limited stillettos.
The best advice I found was:
Mix it up some days ? ?Every shoe has different stress points, so tease your heel height throughout the week to give each part of your feet a break,?
So there you go. No flats or flip flops, 1 inch heels, 2 inch heels, and 3 inch heels. High then 3 inch only if limited movement in them.
Now I can justify a bunch of heels !!!!
Seriously, has anyone else discovered heels as an unorthodox remedy to back/leg issues, or suggestions for dealing with this health concern in dressing choices.
