Deadly High Heels

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We were once doing a health show demonstration. A young woman sat down in the chair and said,"My feet always hurt me. What do you think is my problem?" I picked up her 4 inch stiletto heels and declared that "I think I found your problem." I wasn't trying to be mean but this was the obvious source of her problem.

One year Newsweek declared that it was going to be a great year for reflexologists as heels had gone to lofty heights once again. And there have been actual deaths blamed on high heels.

(CBS) Two California women were killed in a freak train accident. Police believe the high heel shoes they were wearing may have hindered their escape from a car stuck on the tracks, the Los Angeles Times reports. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/01/national/main3441224.shtml

And the ever recurring fad of platform shoes can be dangerous as well. A client's daughter asked me what I thought of some fashionable high platform shoes. I said,"Well you know these type of shoes are illegal in Japan." She didn't believe me. I said well they found women driving in them often found their foot stuck to the accelerator so they outlawed them while driving.

But I learned a long time a go a woman and her heels are not easily parted even with potential lethal effects possible. Just like the old cowboy who wants to die with his boots on some women apparently are ready to die with their high heels on. Try googling high heel accidents. There are some interesting stories. There is even one report that over 7000 visits a year to the emergency room in the UK are attributable to high heels.

But if you must wear high heels and love the sense of danger they bring to your life try a few simple tips.

1) Take a pair of practical shoes with you for driving or walking to work.

2) Take your high heels off whenever you can. Even a few minutes when you are sitting at your desk can be helpful.

3) Rub your feet or get someone else to do it. High heels put too much weight on the forward part of the foot. The toes get all scrunched together causing corns and callouses.

4) Do calf stretches to try to compensate for wearing them. The tendons and muscles in the back of your leg will shorten. This will most likely cause problems not just with legs, knees and hips but also with your back and even your neck.

5) Be aware that high heels can inhibit safety. We once met a New York editor that not only could not run from her mugger but sprained her ankle as well.

6) Try to limit yourself to a two inch heel or lower.

Try "Looking after your feet" in Complete Reflexology for Life p 58. There is more information on shoes.

What do you like or dislike about high heels? Have you ever injuried yourself in them?

Kevin Kunz