A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF HIGH HEELS ON WOMEN

Purti Wakankar LD V

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. HIGH HEELS EFFECTS ON THE BODY 2.1 The Knee 2.2 Posture & Pressure 2.3 The Calf 2.4 Ankle Injuries

3. MEDICAL PROBLEMS 3.1 Mortons Neuroma 3.2 Achillies Tendon 3.3 Bunions 3.4 Hammertoes 3.5 Metatarsalgia 3.6 Back Problems 3.7 Infertility

4. ACCEPTABLE HEEL HEIGHT

5. METHODOLOGY

6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

7. CONCLUSION

8. REFERENCES

1. INTRODUCTION Women understandably are fashion conscious and always have a passion to wear the latest arrivals in the fashion world. And high heels are not an exception. In an attempt to look gorgeous, young, sophisticated and trendy women actually risk their health. Over the years, high heels have developed as a fashion statement as well as an essential part of every womens wardrobe. High-heeled shoes are popular as they are elegant and fashionable. If they gel with the attire, then they should be worn. In fact they are a good party wear, which is why even models wear them, as they look very attractive. High heels come in a variety of styles and shapes. High Heels can be from 2 to 6 inches high. Different types are available such as box heels, pencil heels and the stilettos. The excessive uses of these high heels have severe medical repercussions on a womans body. Several medical professionals have studied the effect of high heels on the bodies of women over the years. There are some benefits but more negative effects that this type of footwear has on the body of women. Studies have shown that the increase in heel and the angle at which the foot is modified by wearing heels may be responsible for several alterations of the body. It has been found that excessive usage of heels higher than 1-2 inches can result in deformities such as calluses, bunions, corns, and misalignment of the spinal cord. It may also pitch the body forward in an unnatural position when in a standing or walking position, which can be the underlying cause of infertility. Women may suffer from serious problems such as knee osteoarthritis, but they can also suffer chronic headaches, back pain, muscle pain and change in posture. Women may also suffer from hammertoes, metatarsalgia and a shortening of the Achilles tendon. It has also been found that excessive usage of high heels may impair balance and lead to higher risk of ankle injuries. Once these problems start, it is very unlikely that they may disappear in time. With the increasing rate of teenagers and young women using heels regularly these problems may start at an early age and last throughout the lifetime. The increasing influence of television, fashion, movies and societys no pain, no gain attitude towards grooming may be damaging to teens in the long run. As brands target a younger age group, girls are in awe of these high heels.

2. HIGH HEELS EFFECTS ON THE BODY 2.1 The Knee The altered posture of walking in high heels places excess force on the inside of the knee- a common site of osteoarthritis among women. One study found that the knee joint pressure is increased by as much as 26 percent when a woman wears heels. High heels makes another health problems for hyper extended knees can create varicose veins and put pressure on the knee joint making it harder for the muscles to pump blood out of the legs. It can, gradually wear out the valves and reduce blood supply to the veins. 2.2 Posture & Pressure High heels push the centre of mass in the body forward, taking the hips and spine out of alignment. As you lean forward your head and shoulders crane further forward, and you lose ideal head position. Head position is important because as the head sits forward it increases its relative weight on the shoulder girdle (the foundation of the head, neck and jaw) putting more stress on the sternum and depressing the rib cage consequently affecting breathing.

Figure 2.1- Correct & Altered Posture

High heels may make the legs look longer, but as the heel high increases, so does the pressure on the forefoot. Studies have shown that 1-inch heels increase the pressure by 22 percent, 2-inch heels increase it by 57 percent and 3-inch heels may increase the pressure by upto 76 percent.

2.3 The Calf Based on the angle of the heel, the calf muscle is modified. The muscle present in the calf contracts and adjusts itself to the angle of the heel. In the long run and with excessive use of heels, the calf muscle may shorten and tighten. 2.4 Ankle Injuries High heels impair the bodys balance and therefore a wearer is at greater risk of falling or losing balance. This unsteadiness is resultant in sprained or broken ankles.

3. MEDICAL PROBLEMS 3.1 Mortons Neuroma Heel height and a narrow toe box can create a thickening of tissue around a nerve between the third and fourth toes, which can lead to pain and numbness in the toes.

Figure 3.1- Mortons Neuroma

3.2 Achilles Tendon When the front of the foot moves down in relation to the heel, the Achilles tendon tightens up. The higher the heel, the shorter the tendon becomes, creating heel pain.

Figure 3.2- Variation of Achilles Tendon

3.3 Bunions Tight fitting shoes can cause a bony growth on the joint at the base of the big toe, which forces the big toe to angle in toward the other toes resulting in pain.

Figure 3.3- Bunions in the foot

3.4 Hammertoes A narrow toe box pushes the smaller toes into a bent position at the middle joint. Eventually the muscles in the second, third and fourth toes becomes unable to straighten, even when there is no confining shoe. 3.5 Metatarsalgia High heels force the bodys weight to be redistributed. Prolonged wear can lead to joint pain in the ball of the foot.

3.6 Back Problems Wearing high heels results in the redistribution of weight of a womens body and it also rearranges body posture. This may result in severe back pain. 3.7 Infertility Most important are the potential problems that wearing high heels can cause in relation to fertility, menstrual cycles and abdominal functions. When you wear highheels the pressure on the front of the foot causes you to compensate by excessive forward tilting of the pelvis. If left unchecked, this can lead to menstrual dysfunction and increases in period pains as well as affecting the ability to conceive.

4. ACCEPTABLE HIGH HEEL USAGE Studies by both medical professionals as well as experiments carried out by some women found that the best height to wear in a heel is between half and threequarters of an inch, with a wide heel to support your foot properly. Surveys and research have also shown that wearing slightly more heel, that is of 3-inches for not more than 3 to 4 hours may affect the body less than wearing heels constantly. For those women who want fashion plus function, so-called comfort-brand shoes claim to offer the best of both worlds. Among them: Naturalizer, Ecco, Aerosole, Cole Hahn and Taryn Rose, created by a former orthopaedic surgeon who brought her first line of luxury shoes to the market in 1998.

5. METHODOLOGY 5.1 Study Design The study was designed to study the usage of high heels among women in the age group of 16 years to 45 years and their awareness levels of the problems that the high heels may cause. The study was conduced through a survey method using a questionnaire that was prepared on the basis of a pilot study.

5.2 Sampling The type of sampling the study is based on is Quota Sampling. It is a sampling method wherein equal or proportionate representation of subjects is ensured depending on which trait is considered as a basis of the quota. In this study, the trait considered was age. The sample size was ten women in the age group of 16 years to 45 years divided into the following age brackets: a) Below 18 b) 19 to 25 c) 25 to 35 d) 35 or older

6. DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 6.1 High Heel Usage Upon conducting the survey, it was found that all ten women wear high heels. 70 percent of the women wore heels on a daily basis while 90 percent of woment wore them for social events.

Below 18 Age Group 19 to 25 25 to 35 Above 35

Time Heels Worn For (in hours)

Table 6.1.1 Time High Heels Worn For

As seen from the table above, the age bracket of 19 to 25 years wears the heels for the longest time. This is the age group that wears the heels to work. The study also showed that younger women prefered higher heels while older women were happier in lower heels. While the youngest age bracket wore high heels essentially for social events they preferred higher heels while the middle age brackets wore them to work and therefore prefered a medium heel height. The older women mostly preferred flats or low platform heels.

Age Group

Below 18 19 to 25 25 to 35 Above 35

Preferred Heel Height (in inches)

Table 6.1.2- Preferred Heel Height Worn Among Women

6.2 Medical Problems Faced The most common problem faced by all women is pain after wearing heels. The location and intensity of pain varies among women and the activity they have worn the heels for. Women below 18 face severe pain in their heels and some in their ankles as they wear the higher heels for social events which involve standing for long periods of time. Older women who wear lower heels to work sometimes face back aches and knee pains, few have pain in the calf. Women above 35 years are comfortable in their one inch heels, but if they wear heels higher than their comfort level, they face pain in their ankles, back and knees.

6.3 Awareness About Health Hazzards of Heels It was noticed that most womens knowledge of medical problems caused by high heels was essentially limited to various kinds of pain in areas of the body such as back, knees, ankles and calf. 70 percent of women knew that it altered the body posture. Only 10 percent of women knew that high heels may be the cause of infertiltiy among women. Other medical problems such as bunions, Metatarsalgia, Mortons Neuroma were not even known to women.

7. CONCLUSION High heels have proven to be a health hazard for women of all ages and from all walks of life. The excessive usage modifies the body structure which causes deformities, severe pain and medical conditions. As the body is modified physically, correction of these problems such as posture change and muscle shortening become very difficult to rectify after a certain period of time. Medical studies have shown that there are several problems associated with high heels. The constant pressure damages the bones of the legs. High heels can cause back pain in the long run. They may be fashionable, but not advisable medically. They can make you look awkward, if you cannot walk properly. Mobility becomes restricted and you cannot run if you want to.

Surveys and findings have also shown that there are far less foot problems among men as compared to women. Women have four times as many foot problems as men, due to wearing high heels. Market surveys have also shown that there is more variety in terms of size and width in mens shoes as opposed to women who find it difficult to find a perfectly fitting comfortable shoe.

This study conducted has shown that women do face problems on wearing high heels but their awareness levels about the magnitude of the problems they may face as well as precautions that can be taken to prevent these problems is of a very low rate. The excessive usage of high heels will be hazardous to the health of women, however women do not know the effects that these shoes will have on their healths. Measures should be taken to increase awareness and reduce these problems.

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8. REFERENCES

1.

D Casey Kerrigan DrMD, Mary K Todd MA, Patrick ORiley PHD, The Lancelet Vol 351, Issue 9113 Pages 1399- 1401 Knee Osteoarthritis and High-Heeled Shoes

2.

Min H. Kim, Chung H. Yi , Won G. Yoo, Bo R. Choi, Human Movement Science, Vol 30, Issue 3, Pages 596-605 EMG and kinematics analysis of the trunk and lower extremity during the sit-to-stand task while wearing shoes with different heel heights in healthy young women

3.

Chang-Min Lee, Eun-Hee Jeong, Andris Freivalds, International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics Vol 28, Issue 6, Pages 321-326 Biochemical Effects of Wearing High Heeled Shoes Carol Frey MD, Current Orthopadeic Practice Vol. 372, Page 32-44 Foot Health and Showear for Women H.H. Merrifield, Taylor& Francis Ergonomics Vol.14, Issue 3, Pages 411-417 Female Gait Patterns in Shoes with Different Heel Heights Lisa Fillers, www.helium.com dated 5 October, 2007 Article The Negative Effects of High Heels on the Body Deirdre Renolds, www.independent.ie dated 11 January, 2008 Article: Beware Teen Grooming January W. Payne, The Washington Post dated 8 May, 2007 Article: On Your Feet Howard Schneider, The Washington Post dated 17 June, 2008 Article: Standing Up for Shoes That Give Your Feet A Hand
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