That’s right, Botox is now being used to cure a weird syndrome known as Stilletotarsal. Stilletotarsal is a diagnosis given to people who have a “continuous and agitating pain on the balls of the feet.”

Oddly enough, this syndrome is caused by women who wear high heels a lot.

This treatment began in Mumbai where women began asking for it.

If you think about it, it makes sense.  Women commonly wear high heels to work, dancing, and even running down the street.  Some women wear high heels up to 10-12 hours per day and it is causing agonizing pain in their heels.

This is definitely something I can relate to.

Dr Aakriti Mehra is a dermotologist in Mumbai that specializes in this treatment.  Here is what he said about it:

“We have women of all age groups, even the very young, asking for these Botox injections. This is predominantly because the so-called party culture has become an integral part of life. Plus, high heels have now become the new wedge or sandals. Everyone wears them all the time. Constant usage of heels affects the foot badly and botox fillers come as a saviour for most women.  The muscles on the bottom of the feet go into spasms after prolonged periods of wearing high heels. When Botox is injected into the muscles on the bottom of the foot, it stops the muscle from going into spasm, which subsequently numbs foot pain.”

I could definitely see this take off here in Los Angeles.  The United States is filled with women who wear high heels all day everyday and if you are like me at the end of the day it feels like magic when I finally take them off.

 What Causes Pain from Wearing High Heels?

The muscles in the bottom of your feet start to spasm after long periods of time where the foot is off-centered or put into an angle for prolonged periods of time.  The body is only responding from the foot being put into an unnatural position.

Imagine that your hand was forced back into a position for hours at a time against a block of wood and leather.  It’s the same thing with heels, they aren’t good.

How Can I Prevent Pain from Wearing High Heels?

I’m giving my personal and non-medical opinion here:  stop wearing heels so much!

There are so many alternatives to wearing heels even if you want to look sexy.  Throwing on a pair of Chanel flats a few times a week is one alternative.  Shoes such as flats put your foot into a much more natural position than high heels, and won’t cause pain over time.

Does Botox Really Help?

Botox prevents the foot from spasaming.  Basically it makes it so you don’t feel the pain any more.

In my opinion, this can be very dangerous.  Your body responds to pain when you put it into a situation that is not healthy.  Preventing pain from happening by using Botox is not recommended.  If you are in pain, you should stop doing what is causing it, not cover it up.

I can see this causing very harmful results over a period of time, so be careful if you are thinking about using Botox for foot pain.