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Medical Edge Newspaper Column from Mayo Clinic

STILETTO HEELS ARE MURDER ON YOUR FEET

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I love my stiletto heels, but my feet don’t. Is there a way to be fashionable, yet minimize the wear and tear on my aching feet? — Rochester, Minn.

ANSWER: Be a stiletto fashionista only on special occasions if you can’t give up those high, pointed heels.

Simply put, shoes with stiletto heels aren’t designed with walking in mind. (I have a theory that shoes with stiletto heels are designed by men who never have to walk in them.)

With heels two inches or taller, your foot slides forward, cramming your toes into the front of the shoe. That can cause hammertoes, a deformity in which the toes curl at the middle joint. If you wear them frequently, stilettos can contribute to permanent bunions — bony bumps that form at the base of your big toe. They can also contribute to other foot problems including corns, calluses and toenail problems.

Stiletto heels also change the mechanics of your gait. That tiny heel hits the ground with a force several times your body weight. They can cause pain in your knees. Stiletto heels change your center of gravity, meaning you have to arch your back to stay balanced. That arching can cause lower back pain.

Instead of wearing stilettos everyday, try heels lower than two inches that have a wider heel. Even platform shoes are a better option than stiletto heels — but you do have to be careful not to twist an ankle.

If you’ve worn stilettos for a long time, you may have forgotten this: It’s not normal for feet to hurt. If you wear stilettos often, you’re very likely to have pain and foot problems. If you just can’t give up your favorite stilettos, wear them for special occasions or for short periods of time.

— Jeffrey Brault, DO, PT., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Additional Resources:
High Heels and Your Health
Appointment Information

READERS: Sodium: A little is good, but too much increases the risk of health problems.

Sodium, a main component of salt, is essential to your body’s functioning. It helps transmit nerve impulses, makes your muscles work and maintains the proper balance of body fluids.

For people who are sodium sensitive or have hypertension, reducing sodium intake can have markedly beneficial health effects. But even if you don’t have high blood pressure, limiting sodium as part of a healthy diet may decrease your risk of developing blood pressure problems and heart disease.

Your taste for salt is both acquired and reversible. As you use less salt, your preference for it will lessen. Here are some ideas to control sodium intake.

— Eat more fresh foods and fewer processed foods. Fresh foods are naturally low in sodium. Most sodium in the average American’s diet — 77 percent — comes from eating processed and prepared foods such as preserved meats, canned foods, frozen foods and commercial baked goods.

— Shop for products low in sodium. A low-sodium product contains 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving — 5 percent or less of the recommended daily sodium intake.

— Limit use of sodium-rich condiments. About 11 percent of the sodium in the average diet comes from adding salt or condiments — ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, soy sauces —to foods while cooking or eating.

— Use herbs and spices for added flavor. To enhance vegetables, try parsley, basil, chives, ginger, cumin, oregano or lemon. For meats, add bay leaves, peppercorns, ginger, rosemary, sage or even cranberries.
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Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. To e-mail a question, go to www.mayoclinic.org, or write: Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y., 14207. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com.