where does it hurt...

JSpikeheels · 24th December 2006, 08:32

this is a strange title for a thread about highheels but I was wondering where your aches and pains are or have developed as you practiced and became proficient with high heels...

...I have the typical soreness on the balls of my feet and along the edges of my toes where callouses form from the unanticipated pressure-points but I do not have problems in my calves or thighs...

...but this is the point of this post: I do have a nexus of pain in my left buttock where the sciatic nerve begins its journey...however, there is a caveat to this description and that is this:
my truck has been completely mechanically rebuilt but I still have the original seats...

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...s/MVC-017S.jpg

I suspect that the inside material has degraded and when I drive my courier miles the braces that form the skeleton of the seat assembly may be pressing against my back and buttock causing the pain-I don't feel it when I am driving because muscle-memory cancels out any discomfort when I am sitting in the seat but it sure aches at might when I stretch completely out on the bed...

I'm going to have someone at an auto upholstery shop take a look at the seat assembly but I wonder if wearing high heels has caused any of you discomfort in the areas I have described and i don't want to completely dismiss the possibility at least...want to eliminate all other possibilities before I have to consider cutting back on the high heels...

Jim
JSpikeheels

jmc · 24th December 2006, 09:18

Well, to quote an old song from the Big-Band era,
"The foot bone's connected to the ankle bone. . .
And the ankle bone's connected to the leg bone. . .
And the leg bone's connected to the knee bone. . ."

and so on, or something like that at least.

But you might investigate a seat cushion like one of these:
http://www.safecomputing.com/carseat_cushions.html
before getting too carried away with other potential causes.

I'm pretty sure the auto manufacturers don't put a whole lot of extra design or materials into car seats, and the drivers' seat gets used whenever the vehicle is in motion. If your truck has enough miles on it to warrant a rebuild then the stock seat springs and cushions have seen their share of wear. If an add-on cushion alleviates the pain, even a little then you know you are on the right track.

johnieheel · 24th December 2006, 15:18

Oh sure, blame it on the truck! Al though it is a FORD. LOL!

chris100575 · 24th December 2006, 15:24

My calves usually ache a bit at first because I nearly always forget to take shorter steps, but that goes within a couple of minutes once I remember that I can't stride along like in flats. Other than that the only pain I get is in the balls of my feet.

Chris

bobandangie · 24th December 2006, 15:39

I am getting older and losing the fat pad on the ball of my foot....so it aches and so does my arch. I have high heel inserts that I wear to help support me in my heels. I love heels but wearing them to actually walk in has always been hard for me, I was not born with the legs and feet that wear them easily.

Angie

dubheii · 24th December 2006, 18:53

I think that it is all in the fit of the shoe. For me, the Pleaser Seduce line (just under five inch heel in size 12) and their Domina line (just under six inch heel in size 12) are the best fit I've ever had. (But that's my feet. I don't know if anyone else has would agree.) I can wear and walk in the five inchers for hours without any pain. I can also wear and walk in the six inchers. My feet tire fairly quickly, but still absolutely no pain.

I have a pair of size 11 chap boots (style Angie from Ellie?) that sport a heel just under 6 inches. They fit my feet like a glove, but I can't walk more than a few hundred feet without getting pain in both feet. The pain isn't in the ball of the foot, but rather farther up, between the ball of the foot and the heel. Not on the bottom of the foot, but rather "inside".

If I compare the foot of the Ellie chap boots and foot of the Pleaser Dominas, they are visually virtually identical in the height of the heel, the length and width of foot, and the curve of the arch. So what other factors may be involved?

BobHH · 25th December 2006, 06:49

Still sounds like the Ellie's need more arch support.

Shoeiee · 25th December 2006, 08:05

JS,

Something you may want to take into consideration is your wallet...I'm not talking about a financial consideration but a thickness on the arse one...

Most guys keep their wallet in the rear pocket of their jeans/pants. When you sit it places added pressure along the sciatic nerve in the buttocks. This could be a cause for the issues you're experiencing. Try removing it while driving or significantly thinning it out.

I also feel you're on target with the seats in the truck. I had a Ford Probe and after 12 years of use the seats were junk. This resulted in similar symptoms as you described. I upgraded to a newer vehicle and things are better now but nowhere near as good as when I had my Lincoln MK VIII. The seats in that car were so comfortable and adjustable that I never had any problems in my feet/legs after hours of driving.

I would first remove my wallet from my rear pocket (if that's where you keep it...) and then try a seat cover with additional padding/massaging motors/beads/SOMETHING!

Something else I've noticed is that men's jeans place the wallet MUCH lower on the buttocks than women's jeans. I haven't had nearly as much problems with a wallet since wearing almost exclusively women's cut jeans...Just another thing to think about...

Happy Heeling!!
Shoeiee

Wolfgang · 28th December 2006, 07:10

When I wore heels a lot [to the point that barefoot or flat shoes made my arches hurt], my back hurt horrendously and cracked with every movement.

Of course, like I said above, my arches would hurt really bad...like when you bend your neck too fast and it makes it feel like it's burning.

Guy N. Heels · 28th December 2006, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnieheel

Oh sure, blame it on the truck! Al though it is a FORD. LOL!

RIGHT ON!

Four letters with a circle around them marks the problem area! But since we've already gone through all this on another thread, I'll give it a rest. Still, friends don't let friends drive Fords.