Health Check: Pain in the foot

For Jennifer Willis style and discomfort go hand-in-hand when it comes to her feet.

“I can wear heels all day,“ Willis said, “but the next day, the balls of my feet will be hurting.“

Like nearly half of women in the U.S. surveyed about shoe choices, Willis falls into the category of putting up with the pain if it makes her look better.

“I like to wear high heels because it gives me more height,“ she said, “and it looks better with the clothes that I wear on a daily basis.“

Whether it’s stilettos, block heels or wedges - Center for Orthopedics Podiatrist Tyson Green says when you consistently put your foot in unnatural positions, pain will ensue.

“With high heels, you put more pressure on the fore foot area and the ball of the foot,“ Green said. “So a lot of people will get what we call metatarsalgia or pain underneath the ball of the foot.“

The trend of pointy heels has given way to more women complaining of toe pain.

“The inside of the big toe will have some nail problems or will cause a type of ingrown toe nail,“ Green said.

The unseen problems can also be more severe - like stress fractures and osteoarthritis.

Green said since it doesn’t look like high heels are going out of style anytime soon, there are some changes women can make to ease the pain.

“There are different types of inserts, padding, different shoes, varying the height of the heel is usually a good option,“ he said.

Even with the discomfort, Willis says she’s not changing her fashion staple.

“I’ll continue to wear high heel shoes because they look better with certain outfits and for the height,“ she said.

Green advises women to abide by the “3-Hour Rule.“ That means if you’ll be on your feet for more than three hours, opt for lower heels with plenty of room in the toe-box area.