Nov 21, 2008 11:15 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: The Dangers Of High Heels
They May Make You Look Taller Or Sexy, But In Reality The Higher The Heel The More Damage You Do To Your Feet
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
They're a much-maligned fashion accessory -- yet almost every woman has at least a few pairs in her closet.
High heels can cause all sorts of foot and ankle problems, but there may be a treatment for the pain they cause.
High heels, reportedly, were first used back in the middle ages to help horsemen keep their feet in stirrups when they rode.
Today, they're all about style ... and pain!
They've always been popular, but "Sex and the City" has made them the must have fashion accessory for the stylish woman. They're chic, they're sexy, they're ...
"A torture," Jenny Rondon said, adding, "But it's worth it, I think."
"Like sharp, stabbing pain that took your breath away," added Sheila Verrillo.
It's hard to see why walking on these spindly heels puts a tremendous strain on your ankles and the ball of your foot.
But do you know what those perilous pumps are really doing to your feet? CBS 2 HD went to Manhattan podiatrist Dr. Johanna Youner, herself a slave to fashion, for the answers. She showed us x-rays of her own feet. First she showed them barefoot and we saw normal foot-bones in a nice straight alignment.
And then in three-inch heels.
"The areas between the joints are being forced together, so your nerves are being compressed and it's being forced in to a bunion and the toes are being forced into a hammer toe position," Dr. Youner said.
"A three-inch rise in heel is seven times the body weight than a one-inch heel on your forefoot. That's a tremendous amount of stress."
CBS 2 HD saw other x-rays. In one, the foot bones were forced into a severe angle, nearly dislocating the joints.
But there may be relief for some of the high-heel pain, at least the kind that comes from nerve inflammation in the ball of the foot, affectionately known as neuromas.
The treatment? A quick shot.
New Jersey podiatrist Dr. Albert D'Angelantonio injects dehydrated alcohol mixed with numbing medications into the neuromas -- three to seven shots over a two-week period.
"It short circuits the nerve so the person doesn't feel it," D'Angelantonio said. "It makes it whither like a plant, so the nerve shrinks in size,"
"It's like getting my life back. It's incredible," Verrillo said.
Another injection that can help is Juvederm. The same cosmetic material used to fill in facial lines and wrinkles can add some padding to the ball of the foot.
After all that, many of us, especially the guys, might ask why anyone would still wear high heels. It seems most women have similar answers.
"They make me look taller," one woman said. "I'm a little one. They, you know, make me look slimmer."
"You want to look appealing to everyone and, you know, it's something that makes you look sexy," Rondon added.
The fact of life is that women will continue to wear high heels so doctors suggest a couple of things: Try not to stand in them for any longer than 20-30 minutes and don't walk in them any farther than necessary. Pads under the ball of the foot help a little and, of course, shorter is better than taller when it comes to your heels.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Celebrities Separated At Birth?
Click to enlarge
Tenn. Police Rule McNair's Death A Homicide 9 mins ago 
Blanton Outpitches Santana, Phils Beat Mets 2-0 14 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Reporting
