Heels and slippers warning to women

Tuesday September 29th, 2009

Women whose footwear is determined by extreme fashion - or extreme comfort - pay the price in later life, researchers warned last night.

A new study links foot pain amongst elderly people to "poor shoe choices" early in life.

Poor shoe choices include high heels, sandals and slippers - all of which lack support and sound structure, according to a report in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

According to experts, led by Alyssa Dufour from Boston University, USA, women who wear high heels might counter their harmful impact by a programme of stretching exercises.

The findings come from a study of some 3,000 people in Massachusetts, USA.

Some 19 per cent of men and 29 per cent of women reported foot pain on most days. The researchers found that tiny minority of men wore poor shoes.

The researchers write: "While more research is needed, young women should make careful choices regarding their shoe type to avoid hindfoot pain later in life, or perform stretching exercises to alleviate the effect of high heels on foot pain."

Arthritis Care & Research; Published Online: September 29, 2009 (DOI:10.1002/art.24733); Print Issue Date: October 2009.

Tags: North America | General Health | Geriatric Health | Women’s Health & Gynaecology

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