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Effects of High Heels and Common Postural Dysfunctions

Posted on: July 21st, 2014 by Eric Lichtfuss

 I was discussing postural analysis and common postural dysfunctions with my students at Atlanta School of Massage last night, and at some point, someone asked if heels could affect one’s posture.

“Yes.”

“Even wedges?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, man….”

So, I thought that this week, I’ll revisit a topic I wrote about some time back…

Yes, wearing high heels – even wedges – on a regular basis can affect all kinds of other structures upstream, all the way to the head.  A small tilt or angle down at the feet can expand into a much greater postural imbalance by the time you reach the head and neck.  This image does a nice job of illustrating some of the cruddy things that heels can do to you, so take a moment to browse, and then I’ll expand on the concept some, because it’s not just high heels, and it’s not just the feet – it’s any sort of foundation within our body, and it’s a 2-way street.

High heels effect on calf muscles

If you look at the top right corner of that image, you can see how the altered foot position in high heels creates postural compensations throughout the entire body. These postural compensations can develop into postural deviations that last well after removing the shoes, if you wear them habitually. When you’re out of alignment, you are also at greater risk for injury (which is a whole topic on its own).

Postural deviations can begin almost anywhere the body, but especially occur in areas I consider “foundations,” such as the hips/pelvis and the shoulder girdle/neck area. If you sit on a wallet, or on a desk chair with an improperly positioned seat or back, if you twist a little to see your computer monitor…you can develop postural deviations.

While the lower foundations tend to have more of an effect on the structures atop them, this transfer of imbalance can work in both directions. An imbalance in your shoulders may create an abnormal pull (and pain) as your back tries to correct the imbalance. As the muscles and fascia of the back connect to and around the hips, they can transfer that pull into the hips, which can then become painful and possibly even continue the transfer down into the knees and feet. As I mentioned in TMJ, TMD and Massage, the jaw is directly connected to the neck and shoulders. You can see how improper footwear and your jaw pain might be related, if you give the imbalance enough time to progress from your feet to your jaw.

There’s a lot that we can do in a massage session to help alleviate the pains of these kinds of imbalances. We can set the stage for, and help kickstart the restoration of proper balance. But the rubber meets to road in the day-to-day.  It’s always going to be up to each of us to take ownership of our own environment, and how we interact with it as well as read our own posture and movement, so we can restore it and stop adding to our own dysfunction.

So, my challenge to you: figure out what in your life might be creating a postural deviation for you, and then make a change to eliminate that perpetuating factor. Perhaps it’s the wallet you’re sitting on, your monitor position, your shoes, or office chair?

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SensAbility is the teaching clinic of ASM Wellness
It's where Atlanta School of Massage, Atlanta Institute of Aesthetics and Atlanta Personal Trainer Program
provide a wide range of wellness services to the public.
2 Dunwoody Park South
Atlanta, GA 30338
Phone: 770-454-7167
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2 Dunwoody Park South, Suite 105
Atlanta, GA 30338
Phone: 770-454-7167