Melbourne cup high heel hang over? We can help!

So you’ve spent most of yesterday clip clopping around in your favourite new heels and now you’re paying the price. If your feet are burning and your calves are aching you’re not alone, and we can help.

What is causing your pain?
When you wear high heels your body weight is predominantly supported by the balls of your feet and you’re tipped into an unnatural state of walking, because of this you can damage the structures inside your feet which can cause both short and long term problems.  Your calf muscles are also working overtime when you wear heels. The calf contracts when lifting your leg to walk but in high heels your ankle is already a few inches off the group before taking a step so your calf muscles have to work harder to move you around. Just like when you tackle a new activity at the gym, the muscles you worked will be sore the next day, the same rule applies when going from a life of flats to wearing your highest of high heels all day. The less frequently you wear heels, and the higher they are, the more painful the high heel hangover.

So what can you do about all this?
Come and see us! Our local qualified podiatrists can assess your feet and let you know what can be done to ease your pain both in the short term and address any other long term pain or issues you may be having. In the meantime you can:

Stretch your calves
Aim to do some light stretching the next morning. By doing this you’re lengthening the muscles and getting the blood flowing again. The popular yoga pose ‘downward-facing dog’ is great for this (when your hands are on the floor a small distance in front of your feet and your bottom is pointing to the ceiling.) Another trick is to sit down and lift your foot up off the floor then point your toes and try to trace the alphabet in the air.

Roll it out
Sit or stand while rolling one foot at a time over a roller, or a frozen bottle of water. The rolling stretches the muscles, ligaments and connective tissue of the feet, which get tight when you’re wearing heels (which are typically narrow). The ice reduces swelling, inflammation and pain.

Stretch your toes
If you were wearing shoes that didn’t cover the backs of your heels your toes would have been gripping onto the shoe with each step. Release those clenching muscles by standing, then shifting your weight on to your left foot and moving your right foot about 30cms behind you then place the tops of the toes on the floor. You should feel a stretch along the tops of the toes and the front of the foot. Stay as long as you can then switch feet.

Lastly, if you’re experiencing foot pain come as see us for a thorough foot check. You don’t need a referral from your doctor and you can claim your appointment using your health insurance. We also have a great range of comfortable and stylish shoes in stock at our Wagga clinic. Check out this season’s range here. For other foot problems visit our "Your Foot Problem" pages. 

If you are in pain call today or book online using the button below: