They come in all sizes, all colors, all styles and all types — and women of all ages can’t get enough of them. The popularity of high heels has never been higher, and many women enjoy the shoe both at work and for fun.
But sometimes the overuse of high heels can cause major health problems and women are going to the extreme — even receiving Botox injections — to help ease that pain.
Dr. Gerard Cush, foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon at Geisinger Medical Center, said he often performs foot and ankle orthopedics because wearing a higher heel can cause multiple problems in the foot and ankle region.
“Women love high heel shoes because of fashion and some find them comfortable,” he said, but “sometimes there are problems.”
Problems include bunions and hammer toes, the narrowing of the foot resulting from squeezing and often complications with toe nails due to pressure.
Metatarsalgia is also a common condition, where individuals experience pain under the metatarsal heads, or the ball of the foot.
“It’s an area that gets significant increase of pressure, pain and wearing away of the fat pad on the ball of the foot,” he said.
Aside from foot issues, Cush said low back pain and strain can also happen, stemming from balance of the body and strain on the back muscles.
Women should become aware of a possible problem at the onset of pain. “Usually pain brings people aware of the actual problem the shoes are causing; occasionally redness or irritation, calluses or ulcerations,” he said.
Special occasions are reasonable for the shoes especially if there is no pain, he added, however if discomfort develops, people should “lay off for a while” or curb the use and limit it until the pain gets better.
Nonetheless, people frequently find they are not able to get back to those shoes once they begin having problems with their feet.
“Certainly if they’re having pain with using the shoes they need to stop using them until the pain is better. After ceasing, if pain continues then that’s certainly something you should notify your physician about and get a referral to an orthopedist. Sometimes pain can continue and give more problems in the future, both non-operatively and operatively.”
Injecting relief
The thought of giving up the popular shoe, however, is not an option for some women who are going to the extreme of receiving injections to ease the pain they encounter.
Dr. Ernest Normington, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Lewisburg, said he has actually done the procedure once or twice in the past, but says it is pretty rare in this area.
“It’s usually not Botox,” he said. “Botox is a medication that weakens muscles. It’s a filling material that is used to correct things like wrinkles and lines. ... The filling material is injected into the balls of the feet to give extra padding.”
The injections plump up the balls of the feet where pain often occurs.
Normington said he personally doesn’t think the procedure is very successful. It is, however, expensive, costing about $500 per injection.
“When you present that to a patient, they usually look for new shoes,” he said laughing. “When a woman is presented with the cost and the fact that it’s hard to guarantee they will still be able to wear a certain shoe, they usually opt not to do it.”
Cush does not perform the procedure at the Danville hospital, noting the high price and adding that most insurance companies, as far as he is aware, do not cover it.
He also does not recommend the injections.
“All women, to some degree, are a slave to fashion, from a business aspect and a casual aspect,” Cush said. “High heel shoes are appetizing for females to wear and when they do, they carry themselves in a different manner.
“Some say they like them for the height, others like them for fun. Either way, they’ll spend a lot of time and effort acquiring them.”
News
Related Photos
Discussion
Feel the heel
Fashion staple can lead to major foot problems
- News
-
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
Superintendent Mark DiRocco told the Lewisburg school board Thursday night that a proposed block grant system of school budget funding will run the district short of cash that will have to be made up through personnel and program cuts.
-
Mom: Keller's response left her cold
Like many people, Elise Nicol is concerned about Marcellus Shale and the industry's effects on Pennsylvania's environment. The Lewisburg mother of two cares about it enough that she sent an email to state Rep. Fred Keller, R-85 of Kreamer, asking him to oppose House Bill 1950, which passed the General Assembly on Wednesday.
-
Point Township authority concerned by sewer plant violations
Point Township Sewer Authority members Thursday night expressed concerns about a Feb. 3 letter sent to the Northumberland Sewer Authority by the state's Department of Environmental Protection saying that the borough authority has violated the Clean Streams Act.
-
Persing truck fee idea stalls
While Pennsylvania has passed legislation allowing communities to collect impact fees in 35 counties, Northumberland County is not one of them, and business leaders and lawmakers do not think Sunbury Mayor David Persing's plan to try to do his own version of an impact fee will pass muster.
-
Barber draws a crowd
The talk can be spirited at times, ranging from hunting to sports to home repairs. "You hear all kinds of stories," Gene Koehler, of Riverside, said Thursday as he waited for a haircut at The Masters barbershop, 209 Mill St.
-
State board approves table games at Valley Forge casino
VALLEY FORGE — A casino resort scheduled to open this spring in the Philadelphia suburb of Valley Forge has been approved for table games.
-
Doctors telling more adults: Get out and exercise
ATLANTA — A new study shows more and more U.S. adults are being told by their doctor to get off their duffs and exercise. A government survey found nearly 33 percent of adults who saw a doctor in the previous year said they were told to exercise. That was up from about 23 percent in 2000.
-
Former Northumberland County judge and three others die in Florida crash
EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. -- A former Northumberland County judge was one of four people killed Wednesday afternoon when their car collided with a van at an intersection, according to the Naples News. The victims were identified as James J. Rosini, 66, William J. Rosini, 68, Patricia C. Rosini, 65, all of Coal Township, Pa., and Deborah A. Korbich, 59, of Elysburg, Pa.
-
Warden demotes four bosses
SUNBURY -- Northumberland County Prison Warden Roy Johnson was able to trim about $135,000 in expenses by demoting four supervisors. He said Wednesday that he found a way to cut costs without laying off any staff. "I cut out 120 hours of supervisors' pay each week, but I need to fill the correction officer positions," Johnson said.
-
DJ pumps up audience
Every Tuesday evening, Richard Grogg can be found spinning tunes at possibly the most well-attended dance in Snyder County. A resident at the Selinsgrove Center since 1988, the 57-year-old said the thing he likes most about selecting and playing music is "making people happy." "Some people come up and ask for requests," he said.
-
Agency closes adult center
PENNS CREEK -- Union and Snyder County caregivers have had to look farther and wider for another program that can offer respite because the Agency on Aging can no longer afford to provide the service. The adult daily living center at the Penns Creek Adult Resource Center was a helpful program each week to about eight adults from the area dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia. But it closed Dec. 30.
-
New Berlin pushes to acquire school
NEW BERLIN -- The Borough Council sold the property where the New Berlin Elementary School is to the precursor of the Mifflinburg Area School District for $1 back in 1950. It was deeded to the district for construction of a school.
- More News Headlines
-
Lewisburg schools face cuts in personnel, programs
