That high heels really hurt you
Wed, October 08 2008
Spindly stilettos and towering wedges will ultimately walk you to the podiatrist's parade of bunions, corns, bent toes, trapped nerves and disfigured feet.
A study by MBT, which makes orthopedic and athletic shoes, claims nearly one in three foot operations on women are to straighten toes disfigured by ill-fitting shoes, mostly high heels.
In Britain, the cost of each such procedure is the equivalent of about $2,300.
One in five feet operations are to remove bunions, which is a structural deformity of the bones and the joint between the foot and big toe, the study found.
Other common procedures include big toe joint replacement; corn treatments; removal of trapped nerves and correction of ingrown toe-nails, the study says. Cosmetic surgery is also increasingly popular with treatments including "plumping" in which a dermal filler is injected into the ball of the foot to make walking more comfortable.
Sticking to heels no higher than one and a half inches can prevent these problems, the study advises.
By Venkata Vemuri
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