steven neufeld md: high heel shoes impact foot healthneufeld md high heel shoes impact foot health

Steven Neufeld, MD: High Heel Steven Neufeld, MD: High Heel Shoes Impact Foot HealthShoes Impact Foot Health

•More popular than ever, high-heeled shoes are considered an important accessory to the modern woman’s wardrobe.

•Although a fashionable choice of foot wear, wearing high heels can negatively impact foot health and your body’s proper alignment.

•As Dr. Steven Neufeld notes, wearing high heels may additionally exacerbate symptoms and pain related to common foot conditions such as bunions.

•The Director of the Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center of Washington and founder of a foot and ankle fellowship, orthopedic physician Steven Neufeld, MD, offers insight on the dangers of frequently wearing high heeled shoes.

•A common type of fashionable yet potentially dangerous shoe, the stiletto features a high, thin heel.

•The design of this shoe can affect a patient’s balance and body alignment because most of the patient’s bodyweight is focused on the balls of the feet.

•Wearing these types of heels for prolonged periods of time can cause excessive tightening of leg muscles and affect walking (gait) patterns.

•Orthopedic physicians recommend that patients wear shoes that fit properly and feel comfortable.

•Patients should also consider wearing heels only for short periods of time such as a dinner party rather than a full workday.