HIGH HEELS CAN CAUSE BACK PAIN

If you're someone who loves a sky-high stiletto, we have bad news. "High-heeled shoes are the biggest culprit for causing back pain," says Melissa Galli, DPM, of The CORE Institute. "In general, the higher the height of the heel, the greater the risk the shoe poses. Our foot fashion alters the position and stresses through the body's foundation and, thus, affects other joints in the lower extremity and spine."

 

Dr. Melissa Galli

 

Shoes without enough arch support are also a recipe for back pain—especially if you overpronate. "If patients have a foot that overpronates (becomes flatter when walking), a flip-flop, sandal, or shoe that doesn't support the arch of the foot can have extremely deleterious effects," says Galli. "This causes the ankle and knee to become valgus, which throws off the center of gravity and perpetuates existing problems."

 

Source: Deanna deBara, Martha Stewart

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News