article_snippet.sent: Most women are well aware that wearing high heels for any length of time can result in sore feet, pinched toes and tight calf muscles.
article_snippet.sent: But a worrying new study by researchers in the U.S. suggests high heels can also put dangerous pressure on knee joints, wearing away cartilage - the body's built-in shock absorber - and increasing the risk of osteoarthritis.
article_snippet.sent: healthy women found that in high heels, women's knees are held in such an awkward, bent position that healthy women joints looked and performed like aged or damaged joints - increasing the risk of osteoarthritis.
article_snippet.sent: Physiotherapist and osteopath Tim Allardyce isn't surprised: patients with postural problems caused or exacerbated by heels are common at Tim Allardyce Croydon clinic. '
article_snippet.sent: Because of the odd angle at which the feet are held in high-heeled shoes, the feet increases the downward pressure on the knees by 25 per cent, placing significant stress on the kneecaps, even when you're standing still,' Tim Allardyce says.
article_snippet.sent: Of course, arthritis and bunions are not the only problems that can be caused by high heels - squeezing feet into too-tight points can lead to misshapen hammer toes, and regular wearers of 3 in heels may suffer from tendonitis, where the Achilles tendon shrinks and tightens painfully.
article_snippet.sent: Tim Allardyce says wearing high heels regularly can also be at the root of a raft of excruciatingly painful back, hip and even neck problems. '
article_snippet.sent: Interestingly, consultant knee surgeon Marcus Green, at the BMI Priory Hospital in Birmingham, has even more hope for those who can't bear to part with their favourite footwear - consultant knee surgeon Marcus Green is not convinced the link between high heels and arthritis in the knees has been proved. '
article_snippet.sent: There's no doubt that high heels change the forces on the knee joint, but none of the long-term studies I've seen suggest none of the long-term studies I've seen go on to cause serious knee problems,' consultant knee surgeon Marcus Green says. '