Los Altos, CA
Most people have their holiday parties booked very soon (if they haven’t already had them), and here’s something that might help you out. For most of us, the holidays are supposed to be a time of happiness and enjoying family but the days that follow can be filled with physical pain. Most common we see back pain and knee pain come up a lot around this time.
Well, the story is the same for one of our clients who came to see us this week…
Wendy is a regular customer at PhysioFit who came to see me with back pain after her office party. Wendy is a teacher, so she’s on her feet most of the day, and because of this, she usually wears flat shoes to stay comfortable.
This year Wendy decided to treat herself to a new pair of heels for the holiday party – she was prepared to deal with the awful, aching feet feeling the next morning, but she wasn’t expecting to have to deal with terrible back pain because of them too.
Why would she? The first thing you think of when it comes to heels (apart from how good you’re going to look in them) is aching feet, not an aching back.
When Wendy woke up the morning after the party she was in pain. Pain so bad that her husband had to help lift her out of bed and put her shoes on. Not only that, she struggled so much with an aching back all week, that even driving became difficult.
So, why did wearing a pair of heels cause Wendy so much back pain the following day and week?
Here’s why – High heels increase the pressure on your back by about 25 times. They can alter the way you walk, and can even lead to bad posture – which causes your back pain.
Now I know it’s tempting to slip on a pair of heels (and I’m not saying to avoid them all night completely) although if you choose a softly cushioned pair of shoes instead, your lower back will experience 25 times less pressure and force placed upon it.
Which has got to be better than waking up the next day with a bad back and walking around in agony for a week, wouldn’t you agree?
Not only that, but add all of the dancing that you might do at holiday parties – do you really want to put that much strain on your lower back each time you place your foot on the ground?
That’s exactly what happened to Wendy and it’s why she ended up coming to see us this past week.
So, this year, why not swap your high heels for a pair of well-fitted, cushioned flats. Heels might look good – but is it really worth all that lower back pain?
P.S. If you’re suffering from back pain and don’t want it to get in the way of enjoying family time this Christmas, here’s a free special report with 9 quick easy ways to live with less back pain – you can download it free instantly when you go here: FREE Tips to Help Low Back Pain
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim Gladfelter, MPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Women's Health Physical Therapy Specialist at PhysioFit Physical Therapy & Wellness
Kim Gladfelter is a physical therapist, Pilates instructor, educator, author, and co-founder of PhysioFit Physical Therapy & Wellness. She is known as a keen, well-rounded expert of healing through movement and women’s health specialist in the Silicon Valley area.
Kim has helped men and women of all ages to stay active and feel their best. She also writes about managing pain in her health columns, blogs and the local Los Altos Town Crier newspaper as well as reaches out to the local community, support groups, schools, libraries, and sports centers to advise and educate on body awareness and therapeutic exercise.