This week is Women’s Health Week. Women tend to suffer from more foot complaints than men. This is often attributed to footwear, in particular high heels (and with good reason!) but other factors can be at play too.
Bunions are significantly more common in females compared to males, affecting about 30% of females and are more likely to occur with age. Other common conditions we see in women are neuromas (related to an irritated nerve in the ball of the foot), corns, and callouses.
Footwear alone isn’t necessarily the cause of bunions, but it can certainly aggravate them and cause pain. High-heeled and narrow shoes can also exacerbate neuromas and make you more likely to get those pesky, painful corns and callous.
Did you know that shoes with a one-inch heel increase the load on your forefoot by approximately 22% and a three-inch heel can increase the load by a huge 75%? Appropriate footwear is not only essential for keeping feet pain-free, but also for reducing the occurrence of corns and callouses, as well as helping with stability and making falls less likely.
Women are now exercising into their older years, and participating in more high-impact and contact sports, which means that they are prone to overuse and impact injuries.
Women are also more prone to osteoporosis (loss of bony mass) and developing stress fractures and fractures from traumatic events. Appropriate weight-bearing exercise can help prevent this.
Your podiatrist can help not only with diagnosis of any injuries or pain in your feet but also implement an appropriate management program. If your feet are causing you pain or concern, we can help with our team of skilled practitioners.
Tags: #footwear, #bunions, bunion, foot injury, #footinjury, #womenshealth, women's health