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How High Heels Damage Women's Bodies

Just how detrimental is the extended use of high heels to women’s bodies? Interestingly enough, not a single piece of men’s clothing poses a similar risk to men’s health.

But just because something is bad for women doesn’t mean that women will stop wearing it. High heels are one easy way of fitting a certain aesthetic concept of what a professional woman should look like. But where do we draw the line, with fashion?

The Knee
The altered posture of walking in high heels places excess force on the inside of the knee – a common site of osteoarthritis among women. One study found that knee joint pressure increased by as much as 26 Percent when a woman wears heels.

Calf
Calf muscles contract and adjust to the angle of the high heels. Muscles may shorten and tighten.

Morton’s Neuroma
Heel height and a narrow toebox can create a thickening of tissue around a nerve between the third and fourth toes, which can lead to pain and numbness in the toes.

Posture
High heels push the center of mass in the body forward, taking the hips and spine out of alignment.
<img src= “http://excelle.monster.com/nfs/excelle/photos/0000/2756/posture.jpg”>

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