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For hundreds of years, women have been wearing various kinds of high-heels for aesthetic reasons. Women who wear high-heels appear to be taller and have longer and thinner legs, and the wearer’s gait and posture changes. Though high-heels have had an association with femininity and have kept them popular over the years, there are definite health problems caused by wearing them too frequently.
The motion of the ankle joints is limited when heels are worn. The ankle joint is very important to the body when it comes to walking. Because of their location, these joints have a great deal of weight put on them. Thus, it is very important to keep them as healthy as possible. The Achilles tendon is the main tendon in the ankle. Wearing high-heels too often, studies have shown, can cause the calf muscle and Achilles tendon to shorten and stiffen. This can cause problems when shoes without heels are worn.
By putting a great deal of pressure on the ball of the foot and by forcing the toes into a small toe box, high-heels can cause or may worsen many foot problems. These include corns, hammertoe, bunions, Morton’s neuroma and plantar fasciitis.
Not only does wearing very high-heels regularly have negative effects on the feet, the rest of the body can suffer as well. The knees, one of the most important joints in the entire body, can be affected by wearing high-heels. High-heels causes the knees to stay bent all the time. Also, it can cause them to bend slightly inward as well. Doctors believe that women can suffer from osteoarthritis later in life because of constantly walking like in high-heels. By limiting the natural motion of the foot during walking, high-heels also cause an increased in stress on the knees.
Similarly, high-heels can cause the back to go out of alignment. If high-heels are worn constantly, the spine’s ability to absorb shock can cause continued back pain. They can compress the vertebrae of the lower back, and can overuse the back muscles.
However, this is not to say that high-heels can never be worn. If worn occasionally and not often, they will not cause serious problems. They should not be worn every day. It’s important to wear them modestly to avoid the long-term physical health problems of the feet, knees, ankles, and back mentioned above.
Although rheumatoid arthritis attacks multiple bones and joints throughout the entire body, ninety percent of people who actually develop this condition usually do so in the foot or ankle area. Those who develop this kind of arthritis in the feet usually develop symptoms around the toes and forefeet first, before anywhere else. Rheumatoid arthritis appears to have a genetic component. If it runs in the family, then you will be more likely to develop it as well.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s own immune system attacks the lining of the membranes surrounding the joints. This causes inflammation of the membrane lining, and the gradual destruction of the joint’s cartilage and even bone.
Some of the most common symptoms that are associated with RA include pain and swelling of the feet. Stiffness in the feet is also another common symptom that people experience. Those who have RA in the feet usually feel the pain in the ball or sole of their feet. This can get to be very painful at times. A person's joints can even shift and become deformed after a period of time.
In order to properly diagnose RA in the feet it is usually necessary for a doctor or podiatrist to evaluate the area. Your doctor will also question you about your medical history, occupation, etc., to determine whether anything in your lifestyle may have triggered the condition. There are a number of tests that may be performed to help diagnose RA, such as a rheumatoid factor test. There is, however, no one single test that will tell you for sure if you have RA. There are different X-rays that can be taken as well to determine if a person has RA in their feet.
There is a range of treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment of RA is usually a lifelong process that includes a variety of methods of treatment and therapy. Your doctor can prescribe special shoes that should help with arch support as well as heel support. A physical therapist can help those with this condition learn exercises which will keep their joints flexible. Surgery may be needed to correct some of the issues with the feet, such as bunions, and hammertoes. Fusion is usually the most successful surgical option for rheumatoid arthritis. However, people need to keep in mind that there are some risks associated with these surgeries.
Clubfoot is a congenital disorder that occurs in 1 out of 1,000 births per year. A clubfoot looks as though it was rotated wrongly at the ankle. Several different factors cause clubfoot. Normally, clubfoot occurs due to genetics; however, some environment factors are a possibility as well. Breech presentation and the position of the baby in a womb can cause clubfoot as well. Connective tissue disorders, for example, have been linked to clubfoot. This abnormality is commonly noticed during an ultrasound of the pregnancy at the 20th week.
A common treatment of clubfoot is reshaping. This is suggested to be done soon after a child is born. The foot or feet are put into place, and then casted on the legs for stability. Required check-ups occur once a week to stretch and recast the feet. This process is done for about 5-10 weeks. Following, one more cast is placed on for 3 weeks.
Once positioned correctly, a child needs to wear a brace day and night for 3 months. For the next 3 years, while sleeping, the brace must be worn. These steps are taken to prevent the feet from reverting back to its misshapen position.
This non-surgical approach over the past 15 years has been very successful. However, severe cases require surgery. The surgery is usually performed after nine months of age. If surgery is performed, corrective shoes or a brace must be worn for up to a year as a preventive measure. Secondary or repeat surgeries may be needed to correct scar tissue damage as the child grows. Another surgical procedure may be needed as an adult.
Botox, instead of surgery, is another method that has been used. It is injected into the calf, weakening the Achilles tendon, and allowing the ankle to grow into a normal position. Usually only one injection is needed, but repeat injections can be done. Weakness typically lasts several months from the injection.
Children who go through these treatments have not shown any issues with their feet. A clubfoot sometimes may be slightly smaller than feet without the condition. In other instances, calf muscles may be smaller too. Children born with a clubfoot should grow up and be able to walk, run, play sports, and wear normal shoes. Olympic Gold Medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, soccer star Mia Hamm, and Hall of Fame football player Troy Aikman have all overcome clubfeet.
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