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Barbie Doll Syndrome

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If the shoe doesn’t fit … “I call it ‘Barbie Doll Syndrome’– a 6 foot tall woman just doesn’t wear size 4 shoes. It’s abnormal, but we all want to look like Barbie,” says fellowship trained orthopaedic foot surgeon Pam Davis, M.D., Midwest Foot and Ankle Specialists, Davenport. “The typical problems I see are directly related to shoes that aren’t shaped like a person’s foot. Wearing shoes too small or those shaped in an unnatural way will cause deformities,” she adds. Pamela Davis, M.D. - Foot & Ankle Specialists, Davenport, IA “Women are binding their feet” The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society found in a survey about 80% of women had foot pain and that 59% of …show more content…

Fashionable shoes – even some heels – should be comfortable. Common Women’s Foot Ailments: Bunions, Hammertoes and Neuromas Bunions are a common and painful consequence of wearing tight or ill-fitting shoes. When shoes cause too much pressure or friction, the body tries to develop a cushion that often becomes a painful bony lump – usually on the big toe’s first joint – covered by a pad of tender flesh. Bunions are not simply a cosmetic disorder. When the first joint of the big toe is shoved out of alignment, the bone just behind it juts out. That misalignment can become quite painful and decrease foot function. Surgeries to correct bunions and hammertoes sometimes involve correcting and realigning the toes or metatarsals and balancing the soft tissues. If there is a lot of arthritis, the big toe joint can be resurfaced. Hammertoes and their close relatives, mallet toes, develop when a toe becomes fixed in a crooked position with the end of the toe facing permanently downward like the head of a hammer. Limited room in tight shoes crowds the toes, which causes pain and difficulty in walking. Thick calluses (or corns) often develop on the tops of the affected toes and at the ball of the foot. Lengthening the shortened tendons with surgery can correct the situation. When arthritis is significant, the toe joint is often fused. Neuroma,

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