For hundreds of years, women have been wearing various kinds of high-heels for aesthetic reasons. Women who wear high-heels appear to be taller and have longer and thinner legs, and the wearer’s gait and posture changes. Though high-heels have had an association with femininity and have kept them popular over the years, there are definite health problems caused by wearing them too frequently.

The motion of the ankle joints is limited when heels are worn. The ankle joint is very important to the body when it comes to walking. Because of their location, these joints have a great deal of weight put on them. Thus, it is very important to keep them as healthy as possible. The Achilles tendon is the main tendon in the ankle. Wearing high-heels too often, studies have shown, can cause the calf muscle and Achilles tendon to shorten and stiffen. This can cause problems when shoes without heels are worn.

By putting a great deal of pressure on the ball of the foot and by forcing the toes into a small toe box, high-heels can cause or may worsen many foot problems. These include corns, hammertoe, bunions, Morton’s neuroma and plantar fasciitis.

Not only does wearing very high-heels regularly have negative effects on the feet, the rest of the body can suffer as well. The knees, one of the most important joints in the entire body, can be affected by wearing high-heels.  High-heels causes the knees to stay bent all the time. Also, it can cause them to bend slightly inward as well. Doctors believe that women can suffer from osteoarthritis later in life because of constantly walking like in high-heels. By limiting the natural motion of the foot during walking, high-heels also cause an increased in stress on the knees.

Similarly, high-heels can cause the back to go out of alignment. If high-heels are worn constantly, the spine’s ability to absorb shock can cause continued back pain. They can compress the vertebrae of the lower back, and can overuse the back muscles.

However, this is not to say that high-heels can never be worn. If worn occasionally and not often, they will not cause serious problems. They should not be worn every day. It’s important to wear them modestly to avoid the long-term physical health problems of the feet, knees, ankles, and back mentioned above.

Having healthy feet in childhood can help prevent medical problems later in life, namely in the back and legs. As children grow, their feet require different types of care from birth to school-age. 

Although babies do not walk yet, it is still very important to take care of their feet.

• Avoid putting tight shoes or socks on his or her feet
• Allow the baby to stretch and kick his or her feet to feel comfortable

As a toddler, kids are now on the move and begin to develop differently. At this age toddlers are getting a feel for walking, so don’t be alarmed if your toddler is unsteady or ‘walks funny’.  Be sure the child wears comfortable and protective shoes so that they can grow into their feet properly.

As your child gets older, it is important to teach them how to take care of their feet

• Show them proper hygiene to prevent infections such as fungus
• Be watchful of any pain or injury
• Have all injuries checked by a doctor as soon as possible
• Comfortable, protective shoes should always be worn, especially at play

Children of all ages are constantly developing and growing, and as a parent you want to make sure that nothing is hindering their maturation. This includes caring for their feet, as healthy feet are important in order to live a normal, fulfilling life. 

Clubfoot is a congenital disorder that occurs in 1 out of 1,000 births per year. A clubfoot looks as though it was rotated wrongly at the ankle. Several different factors cause clubfoot. Normally, clubfoot occurs due to genetics; however, some environment factors are a possibility as well. Breech presentation and the position of the baby in a womb can cause clubfoot as well. Connective tissue disorders, for example, have been linked to clubfoot. This abnormality is commonly noticed during an ultrasound of the pregnancy at the 20th week.

A common treatment of clubfoot is reshaping. This is suggested to be done soon after a child is born. The foot or feet are put into place, and then casted on the legs for stability. Required check-ups occur once a week to stretch and recast the feet. This process is done for about 5-10 weeks. Following, one more cast is placed on for 3 weeks.

Once positioned correctly, a child needs to wear a brace day and night for 3 months. For the next 3 years, while sleeping, the brace must be worn. These steps are taken to prevent the feet from reverting back to its misshapen position.

This non-surgical approach over the past 15 years has been very successful. However, severe cases require surgery. The surgery is usually performed after nine months of age. If surgery is performed, corrective shoes or a brace must be worn for up to a year as a preventive measure. Secondary or repeat surgeries may be needed to correct scar tissue damage as the child grows. Another surgical procedure may be needed as an adult.

Botox, instead of surgery, is another method that has been used. It is injected into the calf, weakening the Achilles tendon, and allowing the ankle to grow into a normal position. Usually only one injection is needed, but repeat injections can be done. Weakness typically lasts several months from the injection.

Children who go through these treatments have not shown any issues with their feet. A clubfoot sometimes may be slightly smaller than feet without the condition. In other instances, calf muscles may be smaller too. Children born with a clubfoot should grow up and be able to walk, run, play sports, and wear normal shoes. Olympic Gold Medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, soccer star Mia Hamm, and Hall of Fame football player Troy Aikman have all overcome clubfeet. 

The plantar fascia is a connective tissue in the heel that stretches across the bottom length of your foot. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the connective tissue becomes inflamed, causing heel pain and discomfort during physical activity. Although the condition is completely treatable, traditional methods can take up to a year to start becoming effective.

Plantar fasciitis is caused by a number of everyday activities, so understanding the condition is important for managing and treating it. One of the most common causes of plantar fasciitis is excessive running, especially with improper fitting or non-supportive shoes. Too much exercise can lead to the plantar fascia being overworked and overstretched, which can cause tears in the tissue. Along with improper fitting shoes, pronation, the rolling of the feet inward, is a common cause of plantar fasciitis. If not treated properly, the plantar fascia becomes overstretched and starts to tear, causing inflammation.

Despite the common causes of plantar fasciitis, there are many different treatment options. For less severe cases, conservative home remedies include taking anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate pain, applying ice packs to the bottom of your foot and heel, slowly stretching and exercising your feet to re-strengthen the tissue, and using orthotic devices are all ways to help manage your plantar fasciitis.

For more severe cases, shockwave therapy has become a common solution for plantar fasciitis. Shockwave therapy can effectively break up the tissue on the bottom of your foot which facilitates healing and regeneration. This fights the chronic pain caused by plantar fasciitis. Even if this doesn’t work, surgery is always a final option. Surgery on the tissue itself can be done to permanently correct the issue and stop the inflammation and pain in your heels.

No matter what the case may be, consulting your podiatrist is the first and best step to recovery. Even the slightest amount of heel pain could be the first stage of plantar fasciitis. Untreated symptoms can lead to the tearing and overstretching of tissue. Because the tearing of tissue can be compounded if it remains ignored, it can evolve into a severe case. The solution is early detection and early treatment. Talk to your podiatrist about the possibilities of plantar fasciitis if you’re experiencing heel pain.