Your High Heels May Be Hurting Your Feet
All over the country, offices and restaurants are reopening, and, after months at home, many people are enjoying returning to something resembling a normal life. For many women, that means returning to a more formal dress, including high heel shoes. Are you one of them? Have you put your comfortable shoes away and pulled your stilettos out of the closet? Middlesex County podiatrist Dr. Jason Grossman recommends saving those high heel shoes for special occasions. With pointy heels that shift your weight onto the ball of the foot and narrow toe boxes that squeeze the toes together, high heel shoes contribute to numerous foot deformities. Here are three that you should know about:
Bunions: A bunion is a painful, bony protrusion. Bunions frequently appear at the joint where the big toe joins the foot and can also occur on the smaller toes.
Hammertoes: A hammertoe can occur when the tendons that connect the delicate bones of the toes to the rest of the foot shorten and shrink. Be alert to a toe that curls and won’t straighten, straightens and won’t curl, or rises up and out of line with the others.
Haglund’s deformity: Known colloquially as “Pump Bump,” Haglund’s deformity is a hard bump on the bone at the back of the heel.
All of these changes to foot shape can make it hard to wear shoes, stand, walk, and run comfortably and should be reported to your podiatrist right away. Your foot doctor can help you with an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Options for care can range from non-invasive modalities such as medication, physical therapy, and custom orthotics for cushioning and support to foot and ankle surgery in severe cases. Your doctor will work with you to make the most appropriate choice for your condition.
Are you concerned about foot pain or anything else related to the health and wellness of your feet, ankles, or lower legs? Call the friendly Advanced Feet and Ankle Care staff at (732) 679-4330 or click here to schedule a visit with Jason Grossman, DPM, in our modern, comfortable Old Bridge and Sayreville offices today.