Women’s foot health is a subject that often gets overlooked. However, with more women in the workforce that likely means more time spent on their feet, resulting in more foot problems. While foot health issues concern all people, women may have specific foot conditions. Let’s explore what these are and what you can do about them.

High Heels

High heels usually refer to any shoe with a heel two inches or more in height. Many women prefer this type of footwear. Yes, they can be stylish, perhaps culturally considered as professional, and, they give one added height.

High heels have always been associated with several issues that specifically affect feet:

• Increased knee pain
• Back problems
• Shortened calf muscles
• Awkward and unnatural gait

What to Do About High Heels

Try limiting your use of high heels, it’s best not to wear high heels for more than 3 hours at a time. You can also alternate the days you wear high heels with days you wear regular dress shoes. If you do wear high heels, make sure the heel is not too high and it’s surface is as wide as possible, for better foot and ankle stability.

Women Over Age 65

Older women suffer from many foot issues because as women age the fat deposits on the bottoms of their feet decrease and so there’s less cushioning. The most common problems associated with this condition, are:

• Hammertoes
• Bunions
• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis

What to Do About Footwear, In General

• First, ensure you have properly fitting shoes. Choose shoes with laces for extra support.
• Make sure there’s adequate cushioning, and, that the shoe’s toe box is wide enough to freely wiggle your toes.

For more tips or if you’re having any problems with your feet, you can count on the foot doctors at Foot & Ankle Specialists, PC to provide fast relief for your feet using a full range of both conservative and surgical therapies. Our expert team, including board-certified podiatrists Dr. Scott E. Hughes, Dr. Greg P. Vogt, and Dr. Christine I. Tumele, serves patients of all ages with state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment technologies including onsite digital x-ray, ultrasound, diabetic shoes, and digital scanning for custom orthotics.

For any questions or to make an appointment, please contact us at one of our Southeast Michigan facilities in Monroe (734-241-0200) and Lambertville (734-856-8900) (Bedford and Monroe counties). We also offer convenient house calls Monday through Thursday, so give us a call!