Common shoes can cause injuries

RALEIGH, N.C. – Rachael Meyers , a North Carolina State University senior in business management, said her right ankle causes problems when she runs – an injury her doctor told her it is due to wearing the wrong shoes.\nHe suggested she buy “stability shoes” for when she exercises. \n“I bought the best stability shoes, Asics Kayanos, for working out and it eliminated almost all ankle pain,” Meyers said.\n“I wore high heels pretty much every day in middle school and high school and it caused the tendons behind my knees to tighten.”\nHer doctor also suggested she try yoga and refrain from wearing high-heeled shoes on a daily basis. He also advised she switch from a high heel to a lower one, advice she said she has trouble following because she is accustomed to wearing the same heel height.\nHigh heels aren’t the only type of shoe that can lead to lower body injuries. Flats, dress shoes or tennis shoes can also cause issues if they fit improperly.\nFoot and ankle problems are caused as much by the activity and environment of the individual as by the shoe, according to Dr. Rodney Fitzhugh.\nFitzhugh, a podiatrist with the Foot and Ankle Associates of North Carolina, said that high-heeled shoes and flip-flops are the two main culprits of most foot injuries.\nHigh-heeled shoes lead to foot and ankle injuries because they exacerbate foot deformities, he said. If the shoes are too tight, they can cause bunions or microtrauma to the toenails. \nHeel height is another factor in causing pain throughout an individual’s legs. A heel above 3 inches puts seven times the amount of pressure on the ball of the foot, according to a study by the American Podiatric Medical Association.\nJaclyn Jenkins, an NCSU senior in communication, said she wears high-heeled shoes when she goes out on the weekends, but does not buy really tall heels because “anything over a 3- or 4-inch heel is ungodly uncomfortable.”\nDrastic changes in heel height can cause pain because the body cannot adapt as quickly as the shoes can change, according to Fitzhugh.\n“Young women should know that if they change their shoe to a flat that their heel, their leg, their foot is going to start hurting because now the muscles and everything else now are stretched,” Fitzhugh said. “You’ve now changed the position of the leg and the foot from being on a hill to now bringing the heel down to the ground.” \nStretching muscles, ligaments or tendons that are idle for five or six months will always cause pain in an area. In addition to heel pain and leg pain, high-heeled shoes can lead to ankle injuries as well. \n“If a young lady is walking on a surface that’s uneven and she has on high heels, there is a chance that she could hit a divot in that uneven surface and invert her ankles,” Fitzhugh said.\nHowever, high heels are not the only style shoe at fault for this type of injury.\n“It can happen when you wear flats,” Fitzhugh said. “It really doesn’t matter which shoe, but yes, it can exacerbate or increase your chance of spraining your ankles.” \nFlip-flops, or thong sandals, are acceptable for individuals with no foot problems, Fitzhugh said. However, if an individual has a flat foot, the sandals could cause damage because they do not provide adequate support. \nShoes with no arch support and no cushioning can contribute greatly to foot problems because they affect the biomechanics of the foot. Fitzhugh said orthotics, inserts made from molds of the individual’s feet, are a good alternative depending on what the foot problem is and what the individual’s insurance coverage will allow. They are good for those with heel pain, heel spurs, flat feet or high arches. \nFitzhugh added that orthotics do not get rid of the problem; they just control the biomechanics of the person’s foot. He compares orthotics to seeing-eye dogs in the way they control the feet.\n“The seeing-eye dog is going to control the person and guide the person where they need to go,” Fitzhugh said. “Basically an orthotic is the same thing; it controls the foot deformity. It controls it so that the person is in less discomfort.” \nThe key to avoiding foot and leg pain is not allowing the feet to get used to a certain style shoe. Fitzhugh said he suggests getting several different height heels and wearing them on different days, so the foot will not get used to a certain height of the heel. \nHe said it is just as important for men to pay attention to their footwear as it is for women.\n“If you wear tennis shoes, if you wear dress shoes, you make sure you have good cushion in the balls of the foot, in the arch area and in the heel area,” Dr. Fitzhugh said. “Any shoe that has a regular insert, it’s not going to be good for you long-term because you’re now working things that aren’t used to being worked.” \nMeyers offered her own advice for selecting footwear.\n“I would advise against young girls, middle school and high school, wearing heels every day because the tight tendon thing sucks,” Meyers said. “The right shoes make a huge difference.”