High-heeled shoes may be one way to make a fashion statement, but any chiropractor will tell you it’s a risky way. Excessive wear of high-heeled shoes puts not only a woman’s feet at risk, but also her knees, hips and back. And it’s not just chiropractors who bemoan the perils of the high heel. Podiatrists, doctors who specialize in treatment of the foot, also have long warned against them.

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of the benefits of chiropractic treatment, recommends that women wear heels that are no more than two inches high. The organization also recommends that if a woman must wear high heels for a particular function or professional obligation, they should be worn for no more than two hours a day. For one thing, the gravity-defying design of the shoe stresses the foot’s weight-bearing function and can cause strain in the lower back and the neck. The position of the foot in the shoe also forces a shortening of muscles and tendons in the calf, which can cause an abnormal tension in the legs.

Your feet are the foundation on which everything else rests. You should treat them carefully; that includes wearing quality, appropriate footwear, whether it’s for work or play. Talk with your chiropractor about the right shoes for your lifestyle.

Presented as a service to the community by: Union County Chiropractic Clinic, 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, TN (865) 992-7000 www.unioncountychiropractic.com