Beware high heels! How stilettos compress the joints and could cause osteoarthritis

Be they stilettos, wedges, pumps or kitten heels, women have enjoyed a long love-affair with high heels. But a concerning new study may take the sheen off the relationship.

Researchers from Iowa State University studied the effects of walking in high heels on the forces acting on the lower joints.

They found the fancy footwear sends shock waves from the heel up the body and puts huge pressure on the inside of the knee. Over time this could contribute to joint degeneration

Danielle Barkema, who undertook the study for her thesis at ISU, said: 'Based on this information, wearing high heels puts individuals at greater risk for developing osteoarthritis. And it seems to be that the higher the heel height, the greater the risk.'

Ms Barkema, working with Professor Phil Martin, selected three different heel heights - flat, two inches, and 3.5 inches - and had each of the 15 women in her study complete walking trials.

Using sensors, accelerometers and lab equipment such as a force platform and cameras, she was able to capture motion and force data and translate them into results that could change the way millions of women select their footwear.

While previous studies have examined the effect of high heels on joints, the ISU researchers found that heel height changes walking characteristics such as slower speeds and shorter stride lengths.

As the heels got higher so too did the compression on the inside of the knee.

'This means that prolonged wearing and walking in heels could, over time, contribute to joint degeneration and knee osteoarthritis,' Ms Barkema said of her results, due to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics, at Brown University.

'I think Danielle's exactly right. Wearing high heels regularly puts a person at risk and the higher the heel, the greater the risk,' Professor Martin said. Ms Barkema also found that wearing heels - especially those two inches and higher - alters body posture by changing joint positions at the ankle, knee, hip, and trunk, which can create strain on the lower back.

So, AVOID HIGH HEELS AND PUT YOURSELF AWAY FROM JOINTS PAIN AND OSTEOARTHRITIS.