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Health September 2013

Aid for Age

Do You Really Want to Strut Your Stuff in Spike Heels?

By Tait Trussell

Research found that about a third of the women strutting in spike heels had suffered what could be permanent problems. Besides sprained ankles, problems ranged from bunions to back pain.

Some over-50 women are smitten with stilettos after aging stars set off a boom in high heels.

Nearly three-quarters of women over age 50 are happily wearing high heels, despite the risks involved, Mail.online.co.uk reports. Yet there are risks. A sprained ankle is one of the most common joint injuries. Some 28,000 ankle sprains occur every day in the U.S., a New York Times blog reports.

Undoubtedly, such well-known women as award-winning actresses Helen Mirren, age 69, and Jane Fonda, 73, among older wearers of high heels have led the way for older women.

The Times article said there’s no doubt that the popularity of shows such as “Sex and the City” (I’ve never seen the show myself) which apparently featured “shoe-worship” as an obsession among some women, has contributed to this trend.

A survey of 4,400 women said, however, that older ladies tend to avoid the highest stilettos. Only a bare two percent dare to wear the 5-inch-plus super high heels.

High heel shoes were first found in a tomb in Egypt 1,000 B.C., historians say.  So, their popularity is not really new.

Research found that about a third of the women strutting in spike heels had suffered what could be permanent problems. Besides sprained ankles, problems ranged from bunions to back pain.

My grandmother, Daisy, always wore high heels (except when playing tennis, of course). She wasn’t vain about her looks. She just was used to such shoes. The heels weren’t spiked — just high. She was something of a character, a great mimic of the speech patterns of politicians who were friends of my grandfather. One day, I spotted her climbing through a large sewer pipe, soon to be installed, that was across the street from our house. She just had a child-like urge to climb through the pipe, in high heels, of course.

But back to high heels and injuries. Under-treatment of sprained ankles can lead to long-term joint pathology, according to Tricia Hubbard, athletic training director at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

“Most research is showing that with any ankle sprain, the ankle should be immediately immobilized to protect the joint and allow the ligaments to heal,” said Dr. Hubbard.

Sprains occur when the foot turns in or out to an abnormal degree. Common causes include stepping on an uneven surface particularly when wearing shoes with high heels.

The recommended first aid for an ankle sprain is: Get off the foot, wrap it in an ace bandage, raise it higher than the heart, and ice with a cloth-wrapped ice pack for 20 minutes every hour. This should be followed by a visit to the doctor, physical therapist or professional trainer.

Immobilization using a brace or cast provides ligaments with the rest they need to heal. Even a complete ligament tear can heal without surgery with proper immobilization, the experts advise. Exercises should begin in a week or so, to prevent atrophy.

Dr. Hubbard says women should be very careful in high heels, which she called “An ankle sprain waiting to happen.”

 

Tait Trussell is an old guy and fourth-generation professional journalist who writes extensively about aging issues among a myriad of diverse topics.

Meet Tait