{"id":4971,"date":"2019-06-24T16:39:56","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T16:39:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchumanbio\/chapter\/13-8-case-study-conclusion-a-pain-in-the-foot-3\/"},"modified":"2023-11-30T18:58:19","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T18:58:19","slug":"13-8-case-study-conclusion-a-pain-in-the-foot-3","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/acchumanbio\/chapter\/13-8-case-study-conclusion-a-pain-in-the-foot-3\/","title":{"raw":"11.8\u00a0Case Study Conclusion: A Pain in the Foot","rendered":"11.8\u00a0Case Study Conclusion: A Pain in the Foot"},"content":{"raw":" \r\n
\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4138\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"400\"]\"11.8.1 Figure 11.8.1 Wear supportive shoes \u2014 your feet will thank you!<\/em>[\/caption]\r\n

Case Study Conclusion: A Pain in the Foot<\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\nAs Sophia discovered in the beginning of the chapter, wearing high heels can result in a condition called metatarsalgia. Metatarsalgia is named for the metatarsal bones, which are the five bones that run through the ball of the foot\u00a0 just behind the toes (highlighted in Figures 11.8.2 and 11.8.3). Wearing high heels causes excessive pressure on the ball of the foot, as described in the beginning of this chapter. Additionally, the toes are forced to pull upward in high heels, which moves the fleshy padding away from the ball of the foot and adds to the overall pressure placed on this region. Over time, this can cause inflammation and direct stress on the bones, resulting in the pain in the ball of the foot known as metatarsalgia. The pain occurs especially in weight-bearing positions, such as standing, walking, or running \u2014 which is what Sophia was experiencing. There may also be pain, numbness, or tingling in the toes associated with metatarsalgia.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4140\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"367\"]\"11.7.2 Figure 11.8.2 Metatarsalgia is a painful and even debilitating condition characterized by pain in the ball of your foot with worsens when you stand, run, walk or flex your foot.<\/em>[\/caption]<\/td>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4141\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]\"11.7.3 Figure 11.8.3 Illustration of the bones of the foot, with the metatarsal bones highlighted in pink.<\/em>[\/caption]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nWearing high heels can also cause stress fractures in the feet, which are tiny breaks in bone that occur due to repeated mechanical stress. This is caused by the excessive pressure that high heels put on some of the bones of the feet. These fractures are somewhat similar to what occurs in [pb_glossary id=\"4122\"]osteoporosis [\/pb_glossary]when the bone mass decreases to the point where bones can fracture easily as a person goes about their daily activities. In both cases, a major noticeable injury is not necessary to create the tiny fractures. As you have learned, tiny fractures that accrue over time are the cause of dowager\u2019s hump (or [pb_glossary id=\"4143\"]kyphosis[\/pb_glossary]), which is often seen in women with osteoporosis.\r\n\r\nDon\u2019t think you are immune to stress fractures just because you don\u2019t wear high heels! This injury also commonly occurs in people who participate in sports involving repetitive striking of the foot on the ground, such as running, tennis, basketball, or gymnastics. They may be avoided by taking preventative measures. You should ramp up any increase in activity slowly, cross-train by engaging in a variety of different sports or activities, rest if you experience pain, and wear well-cushioned and supportive running shoes.\u00a0 It is important to know that your cardiovascular and muscular systems adapt to an increase in physical activity much more quickly than the skeletal system.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4144\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"411\"]\"11.8.4 Figure 11.8.4 High heels with a narrow, pointed toe box and thin stiletto heels<\/em>[\/caption]\r\n\r\nSophia learned through her online research that wearing high heels can also lead to foot deformities, such as bunions and hammertoes<\/a>. As you learned in an earlier chapter, a bunion is a protrusion on the side of the foot, most often at the base of the big toe. It can be caused by wearing shoes with a narrow, pointed toe box \u2014 a common shape for high heels (see Figure 11.8.4). The pressure of the shoes on the side of the foot causes an enlargement of bone or inflammation of other tissues in the region, which pushes the big toe toward the other toes.\r\n\r\nHammertoes are an abnormal bend in the middle joint of the second, third, or fourth toe (with the big toe being the first toe), causing the toe to be shaped similarly to a hammer. The narrow, pointed toe box of many high heels, combined with the way the toes are squished into the front of the shoe as a result of the height of the heel, can cause the toes to become deformed this way. Treatments for bunions and hammertoe include wearing shoes with a roomy toe box, padding or taping the toes, and toe exercises and stretches. If the bunion or hammertoe does not respond to these treatments, surgery may be necessary to correct the deformity.<\/span>\r\n\r\nBecause the bones of the skeleton are connected and work together with other systems to support the body, wearing high heels can also cause physical problems in areas other than the feet. Wearing high heels shifts a person\u2019s posture and alignment, and can put strain on tendons, muscles, and other joints in the body. Research published in 2014 from a team at Stanford University suggests that wearing high heels, particularly if the person is overweight or the heels are very high, may increase the risk of osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee, due to added stress on the knee joint as the person walks. As you have learned, OA results from the breakdown of cartilage and bone at the joint. Because it can only be treated to minimize symptoms \u2014 and not for a cure \u2014 OA could be an unfortunate long-term consequence of wearing high heels.\r\n\r\nSophia has decided that wearing high heels regularly is not worth the pain and potential long-term damage to her body. After consulting with her doctor, who confirmed she had metatarsalgia, she was able to successfully treat it with ice, rest, and wearing comfortable, supportive shoes instead of heels.\r\n\r\nHigh heels are not the only kind of shoes that can cause problems. Flip-flops, worn-out sneakers, and shoes that are too tight can all cause foot issues. To prevent future problems from her shoe choices, Sophia is following guidelines recommended by medical experts. The guidelines include:\r\n