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In the recent years, many disputes have emerged about the stiletto’s negative impact on your body. GPs sigh in dismay when a woman approaches them with back complaints, osteopaths shake their heads, and health sections of newspapers becoming increasingly vocal about the evils of the stiletto. But are they really that bad? Certainly, your feet may be a bit painful after you’ve worn high heels, and your calves may become slightly tender, but once you grow accustomed to wearing them on a regular basis, your body does too – and your feet and calves will be better for it.

It is high time someone tackled these myths head-on. Some already have: earlier this year the BBC published an article which argued that wearing high heels can actually be beneficial. We shall therefore challenge three common myths about the stiletto, and then examine the ways in which heels might have a positive influence on the body.

Myth #1: High heels give you back problems. Not necessarily, say senior osteopaths. Only people with predispositions for back problems have a higher probability of getting one – but that doesn’t mean everyone is doomed to injure their back as a result of wearing stilettos. While it has been confirmed that walking on 8-inch heels for extensive periods of time can result in too much pressure being put on the front of the ankles (which leads to postural problems), this can be easily avoided if you take care. Instead of walking on stilettos all day, for instance, travel to work in your trainers and only slip on your heels at the office.

Myth #2: Stilettos create stiffness in the neck and lumbar spine. Not so. Osteopaths say that stiffness has very little to do with the fact that you are wearing high heels, and has everything to do with how you wear them. If you already have a postural problem before slipping on shoes, such as the disposition to tilt backwards slightly, then heels are likely to aggravate the problem as they put pressure on the lower back. However, if you adopt a straight and erect posture before putting on stilettos, then it is very unlikely that you experience any problems. In many cases, high heels have the tendency to correct a woman’s bad posture by forcing them to balance themselves, so stiffness is not a direct result of wearing stilettos.

Myth #3: Heels are bad for your muscles in general. Again, a common misconception. Your muscles can become sore by wearing heels excessively, but this can all be avoided as suggested for Myth #1. In fact, a recent study reveals that women who wear stilettos have tighter pelvic muscles and stronger legs. As long as you vary the type of shoe you are wearing every day, you face no danger of overexerting your muscles.

Another interesting discovery about the advantages of the stiletto was uncovered by Italian Urologist Dr. Cerruto, as mentioned in the BBC article. Because the foot is being forced into a certain angle by the shape of the heel, Cerruto explains, the pelvic muscles get a work out. As a woman pelvic floor functions are key to sexual performance, the idea that this performance might be improved simply by wearing heels is certainly not unwelcome.

No matter what myths you live by, there is always a right solution for you. Many times those extra four inches of self-esteem are just what a woman needs in life. Why take that away? As long as you pay attention to how your body responds, and you assume the correct posture, health and heels can go hand in hand.