Heels Helped Me Avoid Serious Injury

[mlroseplant]

OK, so perhaps the title of this thread is a little bit misleading--I was not actually wearing high heels when I was injured yesterday, but the fact that I am an avid heel wearer who is trying to push himself physically to be able to wear steeper heels I believe helped me avoid more serious injury. Here is what happened:

 

I am working construction (as an electrician) on a job that is in the early stages. We are outside, and everyone is constantly tripping over dirt clods. One has to be about like a mountain goat to get around sometimes. Anyway, I was working on a generator pad, installing the grounding, and I was climbing on a concrete form. I was done with my task, and I jumped from the concrete form to the ground, a distance of 2-3 feet down (< 1m). My foot landed on uneven ground, my toes landed several inches higher than my heel. In other words, I put my heel in a hole in the ground, jumping down. This hyperextended my foot more than I would have liked rather forcefully, in an extreme "negative heel" posistion.

 

Luckily for me, I do calf stretches and Achilles tendon stretches many times every day in an attempt to make my ankles more flexible so that I can wear steeper heels. My injury did hurt, and I hobbled around a bit for the rest of the day, but the next day I was 90% OK. Tomorrow, I expect I'll be 98% OK, and that's doing my regular job. I believe that any other guy out there would have torn his Achilles tendon, or at the very least sprained his ankle badly. Therefore, I attribute my luck to that fact that I train my ankles every day to be strong and flexible.

 

I did report the incident to Safety, but nothing came of it, because I did not seek medical attention. The Safety guy was very happy today when I showed up and said I was going to be OK.

[Shyheels]

I would say it was the stretching and flexibility exercises you do that saved your achilles tendon, not wearing heels. That you do such exercises in order to improve your foot-ankle flexibility so you can wear higher heels does bring heels into the equation, in an abstract sense, but it is your stretching that made the difference here.

 

Wearing high heels actually shortens one's achilles tendon and renders them more prone to injury.  An avid long-term high-heel wearer who did not do any stretching would likely have seriously injured, if not ruptured, their achilles tendon in an accident such as you describe.

 

Strong and flexible ankles are a very good thing - whatever your motives for achieving them.  

[mlroseplant]

I would say it was the stretching and flexibility exercises you do that saved your achilles tendon, not wearing heels. That you do such exercises in order to improve your foot-ankle flexibility so you can wear higher heels does bring heels into the equation, in an abstract sense, but it is your stretching that made the difference here.

Wearing high heels actually shortens one's achilles tendon and renders them more prone to injury. An avid long-term high-heel wearer who did not do any stretching would likely have seriously injured, if not ruptured, their achilles tendon in an accident such as you describe.

Strong and flexible ankles are a very good thing - whatever your motives for achieving them.

Yeah, I know. I just wanted to use a provocative title.

But your post does remind me of why I do stretches, and that stretch in particular, so often. I admit to being somewhat of a nutter, or at least my wife thinks I am. I am pretty much wearing heels every moment I'm not at work. I am very cognizant of the fact that this could have negative consequences later in life. I'm just not going to let that happen. In fact, looking around during stretch and flex every day, I would say I have the most flexible ankles and the most limber Achilles' tendons of anybody on this job site by far.

If I wasn't attempting to live the higher heeled lifestyle, perhaps I would not have done those stretches so often, and we would have had an OSHA recordable for sure. My contractor ought to give me a safety bonus, don't you think? Maybe a gift certificate to DSW?

[Steve63130]

I support you on that suggestion! Tell him he should do that because it's a lot cheaper than an ER visit, so he got off easy! lol

 

Steve

[mlroseplant]

I'm happy to report that I seem to be fully recovered, as far as normal mobility is concerned. If I do a severe calf stretch on the affected foot, I can still feel a little twinge, but it doesn't affect normal movement.

I am much luckier than my best bud, who is working the same job as me. He tripped on a dirt clod, in much the same way I did, but he fell down and messed up his knee. He goes in next week for an MRI to see if surgery is required. He is still on light duty. Let's hope for the best for him.

[Histiletto]

It is more likely that from wearing high heels, the experience helps us to be more aware of our surroundings and steps or movements. This activity also underlines the need to keep a healthy and trim physique. As long as we realize the care our body needs in order to live a full life, even in heels, and we do things to satisfy those needs, the process is kind of an insurance plan that we can fair better in times of an injurious happening. This doesn't mean we can't experience possibly serious and life threatening instances, because life does have its way of presenting options for our decision making capabilities.   

[Guest]

Done something similar whilst stepping onto a kerb, missed, stepping toe tips only on the kerb totally out of balance to take the weight. Very ouch! took about three weeks until I could walk without discomfort. Probable far worse as I've broken the same metertarsil on that foot twice.

 

I think you got away with it very well, don't plan to do it again (at least for some good space of time) it could hurt far more and heal more slowly.

 

Al

[blueparrot]

I did something to my right heel so it was painful to walk on.  Strangest thing though is wearing 3 to 4 inch heel boots allowed me to walk about pain free until it heals.  It's still hurting some but transfering the weight off it (onto the front part of the foot) made a big difference.  Unfortunately though I only have a few pairs that aren't too high to wear on the motorcycle.  I tried on the wedge boots the other day and could not shift the gears up (only down).