Love High Heels? 5 Ways to Ease Foot Pain

| Tuesday October 5, 2010

Mile-high heels can be hard on feet, knees, hips, lower back and spine – but the truth is, we women have a bad habit of sacrificing comfort for the sake of fashion. Try these daily tips to keep the spring in your step:

1. Roll a tennis ball under the arch of your foot – up and down, side to side. It will loosen the tightened and strained plantar fascia (arch tissue).

2. Massage with ice over your heel and arch 2-3 times for 5 minutes each to sooth aches and reduce inflammation.

3. Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Wrap a towel around the ball of your foot and grasp ends in your hands. Pull gently toward you to stretch; hold 20 seconds and repeat 3 times.

4. Take a magnesium supplement; it relaxes stiff, achy muscles and reduces inflammation and early symptoms of arthritis.

5. Practice "posture perfect." Square your shoulders, lengthen your spine and bear your weight on both feet. Keep shoulders, hips and knees properly aligned over one another. Lightly contract your abdominals to support your back – it also serves as a gentle exercise!

Do you have any tips to deal with back and foot pain?

by Jane Weber

Dr. Jane Weber is a Chiropractor and practices medical acupuncture with The Dempster Clinic in Toronto, ON. She specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions of the musculoskeletal system from head to toe.

7 Comments

	on October 06, 2010 cathy3087 98 said: Thanks for the amazing tips Dr. Jane!! I have flat feet and wear custom orthotics in some of my boots and running shoes, but haven't tried them in heels yet.
	on October 05, 2010 Dr. Jane said: You can definitely try putting insoles in high heels as some orthotic companies now make them specifically for heels. If you would like to try the store bought one's first you can use them as a starting point and see how they feel under your feet. Just remember, there are a lot of different foot types that require certain modifications. 90% of people are pronators (flat feet where the arch has collapsed) and the rest are supinators (usually high arch, rigid feet). These two foot types need a completely different kind of orthotic. This is where a foot assessment by a specialist either chiropractor, chiropodist , podiatrist is essential and a custom made orthotic comes in. You just may be in the completely wrong type of shoe. Another tip for people that want to buy the store bought ones- make sure you take the insole out of the heel if they have one (or any shoe for that matter) trace over and cut your new pair so they are exactly the same size and replace back into the shoe. Make sure you don't put the old insole back in or you may find your foot is slipping out of the shoe- bc there is a lacking the depth in the shoe. In response to the comment about having high arches- your foot is probably rigid (supinator) which means you need a lot of cushion in your shoe to absorb the impact of every step you take. You may find that you suffer from some knee or low back pain as well that could be correlated. Lastly, in my experience Ron Whites is a very good store for very comfortable yet stylish shoes!! Hope this helps! Dr. Jane
	on October 05, 2010 Ali de Bold STAFF said: Great tips! My feet thank you, Dr. Weber :)
	on October 05, 2010 meredithk115 4,186 said: Thanks mamaluv!
	on October 05, 2010 jchang212 106 said: Boy oh boy do i need to do these! I love heels, but they are very painful for me to wear. I have wider feet and a high arch, which makes it very tiring for me to wear heels. Any suggestions or orthopaedics available for this?
	on October 05, 2010 mamaluv STAFF said: Yes, she did mention that a custom fit orthotic would be helpful. They are available in high heel versions. In my experience (I have one partially collapsed arch), a custom orthotic is definitely the way to go. I've tried the general use options you find at the drugstore and found the fit didn't help me at all. I have a custom pair that I can move from shoe to shoe and it makes a big difference! Check with your insurance provider - custom orthotics may be covered!
	on October 05, 2010 meredithk115 4,186 said: Dr. Weber-would it also be advisable to put insoles in high heels or does that make things worse?