The anti-wrinkle Botulinum toxin injections can be used to treat a new condition known as 'stilettotarsal' which is caused by years of walking in high heels. The condition occurs when pain strikes the soft tissue on the ball of the foot, known as the metatarsal area.
The breakthrough offers a ray of hope for fashionists who do not want to dump their high heels despite the crippling pain.
The popular facial wrinkle smoother is now being used to cure the problem by doctors at the Birkdale Clinic in Crosby, Merseyside. In the procedure, they named 'foot filler', the chemical is injected into the balls of women's feet to firm up tissue damaged by their footwear.
"The balls of the feet take a pounding in high heels, but girls won't give them up," said Marie Jenkins, patient coordinator at the Birkdale Clinic.
"The Botox procedure protects the nerves and the soft tissue and makes walking in their heels much easier," Jenkins added. As botox is as casual as a facial or skincare treatment for the celebrities, it appears to be creeping into the lifestyles of the common woman.
The Birkdale Clinic medics have seen a 20 percent increase in the number of women in their 40s asking for the 'foot filler procedure', worth 295 pounds.
"They (high heels) are an integral part of a woman's outfit and so women put up with the pain. But now they see they can do something about it by opting to have the extra padding," Jenkins said adding that the 'foot filler' could become as common as breast enlargements or facelifts in years to come.
"The procedure won't make their feet look any better but it will certainly protect the nerves and the soft tissue and make walking in their heels much easier," she said.
Botox (botulinum toxin type A), a neurotoxin protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum, is one of the most poisonous naturally occurring substances.
The most common use of Botox is known to almost all of us. Doctors use Botox to smooth facial wrinkles by paralyzing the muscles that cause them to form. In addition, it is used to treat cervical dystonia or rigid neck muscles as it relaxes muscles, migraine headaches, uncontrollable blinking, crossed eyes as well as certain pain disorders and several other disorders that cause repeated muscle twitching.
Early this month, a new study by shoe firm MBT revealed that high heel-induced injuries like twisted ankles, bunions and ingrown toenails cost the UK £29 million a year to correct.
The MBT study found that 45% of women in Liverpool and Manchester wear high heels all week long. It also found that four in 10 women suffered an injury in their heels, such as falling over or twisting their ankles from wearing glamorous footwear.
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