Heel Ergonomics – Part II

February 3, 2010

This interview continues from Handbag Ergonomics – Part I

MCR: Can high-heeled shoes change the way a person walks?

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Cheryl: Yes. The higher the heels, the more the centre of gravity (CG) of the body shifts, increasing the risk of falls. Also, high heels does change the position of one’s body. Her upper back will tend to lean backwards and her lower back will be arched more. Hence one will tend to ‘trot’ rather than ‘walk’ as the heels goes higher. Some ladies like high heels as it pulls the tummy down by anteriorly tilting the pelvis and push up the bottom, hence have instant flat tummy and perkier bottoms.

MCR: Most shoes stores these days sell a lot of high-heeled shoes and wedges, what are the potential health dangers if they are worn for too long and too often?

Cheryl: Ankle and foot injuries while wearing high heels/ stiletto shoes are commonly reported. Commonly high-heel related injuries are calf sprains, twisted ankles and injuries from falls. Wearing high heels long term can seriously harm the feet by damaging the tendons in the heel and causing blisters, bunions, corns and calluses which some of them may even require surgery. Other conditions such as hammertoes, ingrown toenails and ankle and knee joint pains. Heel pains such as inflammation of the plantar fascia (bottom connective tissue of the foot) or plantar fasciitis are very common too.

MCR: What is the most serious scenario that can happen?

Cheryl: Fractures of the ankle or foot on falling and complete tear of ankle ligaments which requires a cast or ankle reconstruction operation to heal. Other more serious injuries that can be sustained on falling can be trauma to the head and shoulder fractures and strain. On a long term basis, research shows that wearing high heeled shoes regularly causes long-term health problems such as a distortion of the lower spine and arthritis in the knees which can lead to postural spinal stenosis and rapid degeneration of the lower spine (also known as lumbar spondylosis) leading to chronic low back pain and/or numbness or any other sensation changes in the legs.

MCR: What advice on choosing shoes?

Cheryl: There are no hard and fast rules about it, but it is recommended that high heel wearers take sensible precautions when going out in high heels or new and unfamiliar shoes in order to reduce injury. These include wearing shoes with ankle straps to help hold ankle and feet in place, making sure your shoes are properly fitted (size-wise), switching to flats during the day to give your calf muscles a break, and placing appropriate measures in shoes (i.e. heel pads, corn pads) to minimise the chance of blisters and painful friction.

MCR: How can physiotherapy help a person with heel pain?

Cheryl: Heel pain can be a result of bad walking posture/gait pattern, excessive walking and running (overtraining), wearing high heels frequently and/or muscle imbalance of the leg (hip, knee and ankle). Depending on the nature of the injury, be it a sprain or an accumulative stress related injury, physiotherapy help by applying various strategies in the reducing the stiffness, pain and discomfort in joints or muscles affected. Strategies include manual techniques, such as joint mobilization and manipulation, deep friction massage, stabilization exercises and electrotherapy i.e. ultrasound therapy. Should wearing heels be required on the job, the physiotherapist may make recommendations on the footwear, and advise on posture correction and specific muscle strengthening for injury prevention. Nevertheless, treatment is always more effective if the problem is detected and treated early as chronic problems (more than 3 months) have poorer treatment results. Therefore, if the pain does not resolve within 3-7 days and seems to get worse, it is time to make an appointment with your physiotherapist.

MCR: Besides heavy bags and high heels, what are the other potential fashion health hazards?

Cheryl:

Badly Fitting Bras

Studies have shown that as many as 90% of women are wearing the wrong bra size, many still hanging on to the same bra size they were fitted for years ago – irrespective of growing, losing weight or having children. Wearing the wrong bra could lead to shoulder tension, chest/ breathing restriction, headaches and chest and upper back pain. If the bra is too loose, it is not supportive enough and if too tight and restrictive, it can lead to restrictions in breathing normally, upper back pain and reduction of spinal movement.

Tight Pants/jeans

The trend for skinny jeans, hipsters/ low riding jeans tend to restrict movement and can also cause bad posture, changing the alignment of the spine. The tight, low riding jeans/ trousers can squeeze a sensory nerve under the hip bone, known as the femoral nerve, and cause a tingling sensation in the thighs (pins and needles) also called paresthesia.

Written by MCR · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Peripheral (NonSport), Spinal Conditions | Comments

Tendon Disorders: Inflammation and Degeneration

January 8, 2010

One common form of musculoskeletal injury is tendon-related disorders like tennis elbow and Achilles tendonitis. Your tendon is the connector that transfers power from your muscle generators to your skeletal structure to create movement. Under normal circumstances, healthy tendons glide easily and smoothly as the muscles contract. When tendons are injured, they cause pain, especially during movement. Read more

Written by Cindy Tan · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Elbow (NonSport), Knee (NonSport), Peripheral (NonSport) | Comments

Orthotics for Achy Feet

August 16, 2009

"Dear Sir, I am a lecturer and an avid, regular sports player. My feet aches every week and I go for regular foot massages. I did an analysis on my feet during one of the orthotic analysis booths at some shopping centre which reported I have high arch and pronation. I wonder what can be done to correct that and reduce my achiness? " - Mr Ho

Written by chyetuan.chng · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Ankle and Foot, Have A Question? | Comments

How to tell the difference between an ankle sprain and a fracture

July 27, 2009

This is a brief video on how to tell the difference between an ankle sprain and an ankle fracture. If you are thinking of taking an X-ray to confirm if it is a fracture, the Ottawa Ankle Rules has a guideline to check if you need an x-ray.

Written by chyetuan.chng · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Ankle and Foot, Treatment Option, Video | Comments

Simple Exercises For Plantar Fasciitis Sufferers

June 26, 2009

In an earlier post, we discussed on what plantar fasciitis is about, including the causes, symptoms and treatment options available. If you think you might be sufferring from plantar fasciitis, read on and find out more about the exercises that you can do to help ease the pain in your foot!

Written by MCR · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Ankle and Foot, Injury Management, Injury Prevention, Peripheral (NonSport), Sports Injury, Treatment Option | Comments

Plantar Fasciitis – Pain In The Heel!

June 17, 2009

What is plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is a term given for the painful and inflamed flat, fibrous band of tissue (also known as the plantar fascia or plantar aponeurosis) that connects your heel bone to your toes. The fascia acts as a shock absorber and supports the arch of the foot. With plantar fasciitis, there is an excessive strain placed on the fascia. This excessive strain causes tiny tears in the plantar fascia exceeding the body’s capacity to recover, resulting in inflammation. In turn, this causes weakness, irritation, swelling and pain along the plantar fascia, especially in weight-bearing activities.

Written by MCR · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Ankle and Foot, Injury Management, Peripheral (NonSport), Sports Injury | Comments

Ankle Replacement Surgery

June 9, 2009

An ankle replacement surgery is where the joints of the ankle are fitted with a prosthesis or an implant to replace the existing worn out joints. It is usually recommended for the elderly and relatively inactive person as one of the major complication from such a surgery is loosening of the ankle joint due to overuse. After the surgery, you will be placed on a cast to protect the joint for a period of 6-12 weeks before you can gradually put weight on it. An ankle replacement can generally last 5 – 10 years depending on the activity level of the patient.

Written by chyetuan.chng · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Ankle and Foot, Injury Management, Peripheral (NonSport), Sports Injury | Comments

Achilles Tendinopathy

May 25, 2009

Pain in the back of the heel is a very common complaint amongst athletes whose sports require quick, sudden movements. This pain is due to the sudden, forceful pull of the calf muscle onto the Achilles tendon which, in turns, pulls onto the calcaneal bone (heel bone) of the ankle.

Written by Calvin Sim · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Ankle and Foot, Injury Management, Peripheral (NonSport), Sports Injury | Comments

Sports Taping for Plantar Fasciitis

April 27, 2009

One of the most common foot pain is Plantar fasciitis. It is an inflammation of the strong tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and connects the heel to the base of the toes (see image). This injury essentially comes about from overuse. On the symptoms is heel pain that is worse in the morning with the first few steps. Since it is difficult to rest the foot, this problem gradually worsens. If left untreated, pain will worsen and may start interfering with activities of daily living.

Plantar fascia taping can provide some relief of your symptoms. The tape will decrease your pain by distributing force away from the stressed plantar fascia. Watch the video below:

Sports Taping for Plantar Fasciatis Video

Written by Calvin Sim · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Ankle and Foot, Injury Management, Peripheral (NonSport) | Comments

Do I need arch-supports?

December 16, 2008

"Hi, I had thought you only needed arch-supports for your feet if you have flat feet. I checked with the wet footprint test and found no sign of flat feet. But a friend recently said that he has heard of people with flat feet feeling better with arch-support. Should I get one? What is there to support if you already have an ‘ok’ arch in your feet? I don’t get it. Please advise." – Toh K.L. Read more

Written by Cindy Tan · Filed Under Ankle & Foot (NonSport), Ankle and Foot, Have A Question?, Peripheral (NonSport) | Comments