While it has not become a craze in Columbus yet, a new cosmetic surgery craze in Great Britain has begun making headlines in the US over the past few weeks. Dermal filler is being injected into women’s feet to provide additional cushioning in areas that are placed under excess pressure by wearing extreme high heels. The surgery has been nicknamed a “Loub job” in reference to the French shoe designer Christian Louboutin who has been quoted that he does not care if his shoe creations are uncomfortable. With unpleasant thoughts of wearing painful heels to upcoming graduations and graduation parties for their kids at Westerville South High School, Beechcroft High School or any of the other schools in the Columbus area, women should be pleased to know that less extreme measures can offer great pain relief!
While it would be ideal for optimal foot health to completely eliminate high heels and stilettos from a woman’s shoe choices, it is understandable that there are occasions where dressing up is necessary. When choosing a dress shoe there are a few things women can do to decrease the pain and potential for injury or deformity caused by the shoe. Selecting a shoe with a wider toebox versus a pointy toe can limit the development of painful corns and calluses as well as bunions and hammertoes. If possible, choosing a lower height heel can also decrease the extreme amount of pressure placed on the ball of the foot.
Certain areas of the foot are affected worse than other when wearing heels. These areas include the ball of the foot, the bottom and back of the heel and the toe pads, which are some of the areas where dermal filler is being injected in the cosmetic surgery “Loub job”. High heels are notorious for causing a painful bony bump on the back of the heel in women that is called a “Haglund’s deformity” or “Pump Bump”. This bump develops from the excess irritation caused by the rigid structure of a pump or high heeled style shoe. Changing the shoes and adding a heel grip device to the shoe to provide a cushion in the painful aspect are options to decrease the symptoms. Surgery offers the ability to completely remove the painful bump. Metatarsalgia, or pain in the ball of the foot, is another issue being targeted by these injections. There are many custom padding options that your podiatrist can create that will offer the extra cushioning, without having to go through an injection. It is also important to realize that pain in the ball of the foot may be occurring for reasons that will not be cured by increasing the foot’s cushioning. For example, neuromas are seen with increased frequency in women who wear heels but often require surgery or injections to remove the irritated nerve in order to alleviate the pain. For this reason, it is always crucial to have a thorough appointment with your podiatrist to correctly diagnose a problem before self-treating or selecting a treatment from another health professional if they have not identified the underlying cause of the pain.
Talk to your podiatrist to discuss all the options to enjoy and show off your toes at graduations and spring events without suffering through foot pain!
Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885 FEET (3338) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.