Constantly wearing high heels and bending the ankles and squeezing the toes can lead to Achilles tendonitis, causing pain and limiting the ability to walk.
High heels help to make the legs slimmer and the gait more graceful, so they are very popular with women. However, wearing high heels also puts women at risk of bone and joint problems.
The Achilles tendon, also known as the heel tendon, is located in the heel bone area (back of the heel and ankle). Dr. Le Van Minh Tue, Orthopedic Trauma Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that wearing high heels for too long can cause Achilles tendonitis due to repeated micro-traumas from overuse, heel pain and calf strain. Wearing high heels for a long time not only hinders walking but also risks heel bone deformity, even foot deformity, causing ingrown nails, plantar fasciitis, and ankle injuries due to ankle sprains.
Wearing high heels increases the risk of Achilles tendonitis. Photo: Freepik
Below are the specific causes of Achilles tendonitis.
Prolonged ankle flexion postures: When wearing high heels of 7 cm or more, the foot is in a downward position, the ankle joint is flexed. This causes the body weight to be concentrated on the front half of the foot and toes, creating an uneven pressure distribution on the foot. The foot is subjected to greater pressure than normal. Maintaining this posture for a long time causes the Achilles tendon to contract, causing pain in the heel area, difficulty walking, and stiffness in the heel and calf when standing on tiptoe or walking on flat ground.
Sudden Achilles Tendon Stretch After Taking Off Shoes: After taking off your shoes, immediately walking barefoot or in sneakers causes the Achilles tendon to stretch. This abnormal change is highly likely to cause damage and inflammation of the tendon. In addition, changing the weight-bearing position from the front half of the foot to the entire foot can easily cause loss of balance, leading to falls.
Shoe designs that cause foot deformities : High heel shoe designs are mostly pointed toes and high heels to shape women's feet to be more slender. However, this design puts pressure on the feet, increases the risk of bone deformities, and negatively affects the organs in the feet, including the Achilles tendon.
Doctor Tue performs surgery on a patient with bone and joint disease in August 2023. Photo: Provided by the hospital
According to Dr. Tue, when heel pain occurs, women should sit down and rest to reduce pressure on the Achilles tendon; stretch the calf muscles, feet and ankles, then slowly take off the shoes. After that, replace high heels with sneakers or flat shoes of a comfortable size to avoid recurrence of pain.
Simple exercises to reduce heel pain and prevent Achilles tendonitis effectively include:
Toe lift exercise, Achilles tendon stretch : Stand straight, knees straight, you can hold on to the wall for balance. Stand on your heels and slowly raise your toes as high as possible. Hold for 5-10 seconds, feel the calf muscles stretch. Then slowly lower your legs. Repeat 5-10 times.
Towel stretch exercise: Sit in a comfortable position, stretch the painful heel leg straight out in front of you. Use a towel about 80-100 cm long, fold it, wrap it around the front half of your foot, use both hands to pull the two ends of the towel so that the toes are facing your body. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds, feeling the calf muscles stretch. Slowly return the toes to their original position. Repeat the movement 5-10 times.
Dr. Tue recommends that people with heel pain that lasts for many days and swelling in the heel should see a doctor soon. This could be bleeding between the tendons - a clinical sign of an Achilles tendon rupture.
To wear high heels safely, protect the musculoskeletal system and prevent Achilles tendonitis, women should choose shoes of the right size so as not to affect the structure of the foot; use heel pads to reduce the load on the Achilles tendon, use good quality shoes to help limit damage to the Achilles tendon; avoid wearing them continuously for long periods of time.
Hong Phuc
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