Why My Stilt-Walking Circus Days are Now Over!

The stilts being referred to the back and spine.

Most of the time we look more like circus acts than drop-dead seductive – tightrope walking and flying through the air with the greatest of ease takes lots of practice and painful artistry – which is why I have to earth. This is what I did after a meeting with a physical therapist.

Besides the obvious crunched-up toe step-sequence of our feet radically changes…and not for the better!

Below are a few maladies which may affect women who regularly wear stilettos.
Spondylolisthesis is a lower back condition in which a vertebra slides out of its proper position to stress on the lower back and can cause swayback and numbness or weakness in the legs.

If the scare of Spondylolisthesis doesn’t make you feel like you are trembling on a tightrope, those high ankle booties could also be the cause of a curvature of the spine. “The spine must be well-balanced to work properly,” mentions NYDNRehab.com. Wearing spikes changes your stance, pushing your lower back forward and moving the hips and spine out of alignment. Our spinal discs are like shock absorbers and, when we walk, our back takes the hit.

An imbalanced spine puts pressure on the nerves and can even lead to the tilting of the foot,” mentions MostInside.com. “The arching of back and pelvis puts pressure on lower back muscles” with chronic pain and numbness which means sciatica would be a daily occurrence.

Death by shoe-icide? It looks like our stilts are slowing killing us or, at the very least, immobilizing us!
“Glamour isn’t pretty and fashion hurts,” mentioned a friend of mine while on the too far in our search for height and haute couture?

“High heels throw off your alignment. They change the center of gravity, causing extra stress and strain on the lower back, so you’re not walking in a natural position,” states Dr. John M. Giurini, Chief of the Division of Podiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in his article, “Are Your Shoes Causing Your Back Pain?”

So, do you opt for attention-getting confidence, a slimmer-looking physique and killer heels or back pain, possible spinal disorders and breaks and pain galore for the sake of beauty? My first choice is stilettos but the right choice is comfort.