New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANSlife): Those perfect high heels might look great on you, but they come with much pain and suffering.

"High heels being bad for health and comfort, barely stops women from wearing them occasionally. Women often make sacrifices for foot fashion and have to pay a high price when pain and deformity develop. High heeled shoes can take a toll on your spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet, while affecting your posture and gait negatively," Dr. Jatinder Bir Singh Jaggi, Associate Director, Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement, Max Hospital, Gurugram said.

His advice to women? Take it down a notch, for your own good!

How high heels affect you

The human body attempts to compensate for the off-kilter balance heels caused by flexing or forward bending the hips and spine. High heels specifically the pointed once cause, the calf, hip, and back muscles to tense from extreme pressure. This results in excess muscle fatigue and strain.

With flat shoes, the spine is fairly straight, calf muscle is relaxed when feet are flat and there is even distribution of body weight throughout the foot.

With high heels, the chest is pushed forward, the lower spine is pushed forward taking the hips and spine out of alignment, excess pressure placed on knees, and the downward force increases the pressure over the toes.

Some health problems that can be caused due to continuous use of high heels are: Lower back pain, Arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, sprained ankle, constricted blood vessels, and knee and foot pain.

What are the solutions?

Taking the following into consideration can drastically lower the negative effects of wearing high heels, without avoiding them all together.

- Avoid wearing high heels for a long period of time

- Stretch leg muscles before and after putting them on

- Take off the heeled shoes whenever possible, so that the foot muscles can relax

- Try and set your limit to two inches

- Don't go for the pointed shoe, due to area of contact these pose higher pressure on the body

- Opt for shoes with a leather insole as they reduce the chances of slipping, and meanwhile provide comfort.