My girlfriend has shortened Achilles tendons from high heels. What now?

I have always noticed that my girlfriend tiptoes when she is barefoot and has cramps when she tries to keep her feet flat. She is 20 now and has been wearing only high-heeled sandals since she was 15.





So, I took her to a podiatrist recently and he confirmed that her Achilles tendons are shortened. He recommended surgery.





So here are the options:


1. Surgery to re-lengthen her tendons. (Doctor%26#039;s preference)


2. Other therapeutic methods? Would massage or gradual stretching work? How about acupuncture? This is MY preference, as I want my girlfriend to be able to walk normally but don%26#039;t like the sound of surgery.


3. Or keep things as they are. This is HER preference - she argues that she feels %26quot;good%26quot; in high heels and %26quot;comfortable%26quot; tiptoeing barefoot, and she doesn%26#039;t want to wear flat shoes... ever.





What is your suggestion?

My girlfriend has shortened Achilles tendons from high heels. What now?
I have the same problem. Since I was probably around 13, i%26#039;ve always had a tendancy to walk on my toes and felt very uncomfortable in flat shoes. Doctors have said that for whatever reason my tendons in the back of the legs didn%26#039;t grow like it should have and it is short.





They%26#039;ve tried several different methods to get the tendon to stretch and nothing really seems to do much good. Im refusing to do surgery. From what doctors have described in my situation, it is very complicated surgery and I feel that it would just screw my legs up more than they already are.


I wear high heels practically all the time and am very comfortable. They feel natural to me.





It is her decision. She can try other methods and see if they work for her, but I dont reccomend the surgery.
Reply:if you love her, then love her the way she is... or in this case the way she prefers...
Reply:I wouldn%26#039;t do the surgery. Not only might it not work but it could make it worse or cause other problems.





The only time you ever want to do surgery is in an emergency or to correct a major problem.
Reply:I actually don%26#039;t think you should keep things the way they are. Her shortened Achilles tendons could cause problems when she gets a lot older. I really think you should try your second option, the therapeutic methods and such. Just remember to ask your doctor about them because he may have advice as to what would work or not. I wouldn%26#039;t do the surgery though. That just sounds painful and risky.
Reply:Tell her to sit down with her feet flat on the floor for a while to get used to it. Then, tell her to walk barefoot for a while to see if that helps.
Reply:number 2. my sister had the same problem from always walking around on her toes as a child, and she worked them back down so she could walk flat-footed
Reply:I%26#039;d be concerned about her calves, tendons (esp. the Achilles) and general posture. When we%26#039;re standing with our feet flat on the floor, our entire skeleton is in alignment; knees, pelvis, back. When we%26#039;re wearing high heels or walking tip-toe, the knees come forward a little, the back arches slightly... that can cause trouble in long-term for her joints. That it doesn%26#039;t bother her now, at 20, doesn%26#039;t mean there isn%26#039;t any long-term damage being done!





I can%26#039;t say whether I%26#039;d go for the surgery though, I don%26#039;t know what the risks are, how long she%26#039;ll be off her feet completely, etc... I%26#039;m not sure if stretching would work, she%26#039;d have to stop wearing high heels for sure (at least wear them far less).





In the end it%26#039;s her decision, but I%26#039;d really advise her against just continuing the way things are. Long-term damage doesn%26#039;t have to hurt while it%26#039;s happening, that she feels fine doesn%26#039;t mean she%26#039;s not slowly wearing out her joints %26amp; back. By the time it starts to hurt, the damage is already much greater, and may be irreversible. I know several still quite young %26amp; middle-aged people who have a bad back (for other reasons, mostly lifting heavy stuff -but what is the same is that it didn%26#039;t hurt right away, they thought they were fine too.... they didn%26#039;t %26#039;throw their back%26#039; all at once but it was slow wear %26amp; tear that did it). It%26#039;s not fun!
Reply:one of these days she will want to wear flat shoes - youth doesn%26#039;t last.....





i would suggest stretching and massage. she could still wear the heels..





Peace+
Reply:I can%26#039;t answer your question, but I think you may have answered mine. I%26#039;m the same way as your girlfriend. I walk on tip-toe when I%26#039;m barefoot, and if I don%26#039;t it feels really weird. Of course, I%26#039;ve walked on my toes since I was a child.





I%26#039;d say keep things the way they are. Like I said, I%26#039;m the same way, and have never thought of it as a problem before.



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