High Heels and Flip-Flops Cause Back Pain

By: Christina Lasich, MD
Physiatrist
Grass Valley, CA

What do shoes have to do with your spine pain? Everything!

Shoes support your entire body as the only contact between you and the ground. Alignment, support, ride quality … Hey, this is beginning to sound like a tire commercial. Well, shoes are like tires because they provide for your comfort (ride quality), your stability (support), and your posture (alignment). Good shoes can put you on the road to spine health.

Comfort

Suppose you had to walk around barefooted on a concrete floor for a few hours. That would not feel very comfortable because nothing is cushioning you against the jarring of the hard surface. With every step like a jack-hammer, the impact travels all the way to your spine. Pound, pound, pound … Over time, these shock waves will cause pain in the pressure-sensitive structures of your spine like the discs, joints, and ligaments.

You must buffer your back against the hard reality of the ground. Most high-heeled shoes, cowboy boots, and sandals (including flip-flops) fail to give a cushy step in your stride. You need air pillows to ease the hurt caused by the hard ground. The tire manufacturers figured that out when they switched from hard rubber to inflatable tires. Before you hit the road, it's time for you to upgrade to better ride quality with well-cushioned shoes.

Stability

Your shoes also need to be very supportive. If your foot is wobbling, slipping, and sloshing around, all the extra movement travels right up the leg to your spine, which is hanging on for dear life just to maintain balance. Some women seem to enjoy teetering on their toes in the spiked high heels. Walking should not be a balancing act that places your body at risk for injury.

Flip-flop wearers especially endure an unstable shoe. Flip-flop, flip-flop … That is what the heel is doing, just flopping around. A good shoe always controls the heel with a strap or a cup. By stabilizing the heel, your shoes should provide a solid foundation for the entire limb and spine. Without good footing, your back will blow out from all that stressful shaking and leave you stuck at home.

Posture

When was the last time you checked your alignment? That's right your alignment—your posture. Start by checking your feet. Foot position affects the position of your ankles, knees, hips, and spine.

High-heeled shoes unnaturally place the heels above the toes. Even the slightest adjustment to the foot can throw off your body's entire alignment. The spine is very vulnerable because it has specially designed curves that evenly distribute your weight. High heels alter these curves. Eventually, this poor posture places too much uneven wear on the discs, the joints, and the ligaments of the back.

Wear out your back parts and you will have pain. All the parts in you (or your car) have to lineup properly or the whole system breaks down, leaving you on the side of the road.

A shoe has everything to do with how your back feels. By providing comfort, stability, and proper posture, your shoes are the foundation for you. Shoes are the only contact between you and the road. And like tires, shoes have everything to do with your performance on the road.

It is fine to wear bad footwear (like high heels and flip-flops) occasionally; just don't make it a habit because unhealthy habits lead to chronic pain. So next time you choose shoes to wear, think about choosing to feel better. With comfortable ride quality, stable support and proper alignment, your spine will feel better over the long haul.

Article Source: http://www.spineuniverse.com

Low Heels Vs High Heels

By: Clara Havisham

Styles and types of shoes are countless….in the market, especially for women. Almost every woman likes to wear and change often the shoe-varieties. Of all, high heels are absolutely alluring variety of shoes that many women yearn to wear. Very less women prefer wearing low heel shoes as many consider this footwear as out of trend. But women in high heels for a long time have to experience many difficulties. Well, this article makes a clear distinction between high and low heel sandals in short.

High Heels

As you know, your heel part withstands your body weight, but if you wear high heels your weight is partially transferred from heel to toe and ball-of-the foot. This further produces excess stress on your bones, muscles and tendon thus affecting your walking posture. This slowly gives rise to Achilles tendonitis, bunions, fallen arches etc. High heels also directs the centre heap of your body frontward and your vertebrae to bend backwards to compensate. This thus leaves you with back pains all day long.

Though increased heel height is insecure to foot health, the fame of these shoes never goes down. Wearing them not only gives a pretty look to your feet but also gains you a seductive appearance. There are certain things to follow to enjoy wearing this footwear. Those are listed below as follows;

- Don’t wear this footwear often. Wear them on some special occasions where you spend less time standing on your feet wearing high heels.

- It is wise to prefer 4 cm heel height for casual wear and 5 cm for occasional wear to ensure full comfort.

- Prefer high heel sandals with straps on the instep that prevent sliding of your feet forward thus reducing the stress on your toes.

- Never walk long distances in this footwear as they may leave your feet with blisters and foot pains.

Low Heels

Generally, high heels are quite hard on your feet; therefore, it’s good to opt for moderate or low heeled shoes. This footwear too gives you the style you want thus maintaining the comfort level. Kitten heels too are a form of low heels that makes sexy curves on your body posture thus making you appear highly seductive. One can prefer wearing these shoes for a long time when compared to increased heeled sandals. Unlike high heels, these sandals won’t cause much harm to your feet thus gaining you a sexy and feminine appearance in the crowd.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

5 Tips for Choosing Sexy High Heels

By: Ino Souw

It is a well known fact that the right pair of high heels can make your feet look sexy. The first rule of high heel shoe shopping is ‘the higher the heel, the more you should spend.’ That doesn't mean you can't find a comfortable pair of sexy high heels for under $50, you probably won't find a pair of stilettos or platform shoes in that range, though.
There are several things to consider when you are choosing the perfect pair of high heels :

1. If you hate your toes, opt for pumps with a closed toe, or try a peep-toe pump to see if its less-revealing style covers the parts you hate most. Rough heels won’t look good in a backless sandal, but there are plenty of shoes with open toes that still cover the back of your feet.
2. Rule number two is to emphasize the nice things about your feet. Also an obvious trick, but since we usually tend to focus on what we don’t like, it’s easy to forget what is good about our feet, for example : pumps will accentuate the graceful curves of high arches, ankle straps can highlight a shapely ankle, and of course slides can show off the perfect set of nails. If you’re still convinced that every aspect of your foot is horrid, then find sexy shoes that cover as much as possible.
3. Your shoes must fit if you want your feet to look sexy. Even the most perfect foot looks awkward if it’s hanging over the edge of its sandal — no matter how hot the sandal in question is, and a foot that looks as if it’s been crammed into a pump that’s too tight will give the impression that your feet are so big you can’t find shoes to fit. The same can be said for ankle straps. If they’re cutting into your skin, loosen them or skip them altogether. They shouldn’t be too loose, but if they’re too tight, they will look as uncomfortable as they feel.
4. When you've found a pair of high heel or platform shoes you really love, wear them around the shoe store for a short while. If there are any problems, your feet will tell you rather quickly. Take them home but keep your store slip.
5. Wear them around your home for an hour or two. The reason for the home wear is two-fold; first, you won't hurt yourself as much should you fall or stumble. Second, you won't wear the soles or the heels should you need to return them. If you have blisters or discomfort in any way, you should return them to the shoe store straight away.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Why are High Heeled Shoes so Popular With Women?

By: Sharon Francis

Today there is such a varying array of high heeled shoes on the market spanning from the black high heel classic to clear heeled shoes,high heeled pumps and trainers and funky high heeled leather boots. But why are most women such huge fans of high heels?

- High heeled shoes can give calf muscles the much admired female appeal, making legs look leaner and more toned by lengthening the look of the legs.
- high heels can do wonders for the bum?...by helping to give an increased lift by about 25%!
- High heeled shoes are one of the sexiest items of attire that a woman can wear, making them feel and look amazing, add some boots to those heels and sex appeal and love life can rocket??, and watch those heads turn when walking down the street (shopping of course!)
- For those of us not blessed with being tall a couple of centimeters can be added to your height!
- The right choice of heels can transform an outfit. An old worn out outfit can be changed into a wonderful statement by adding a pair of high shoes or high boots, and if slacks or jeans are too long they may just fit your legs if you add a pair of high shoes.
- Boost the ego by wearing a pair of high heels. A pair of high heeled shoes makes for a sexier walk because the heel height makes your hips swing a little more as you walk.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com