Could botox cure the agony of killer high heel feet?

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Doctors are using Botox injections to cure a new condition known as "stilettotarsal" - caused by years of tottering around in high heels.

The injury causes pain in the soft tissue on the ball of the foot, or metatarsal region, forcing fashionistas to wear flat footwear.

But the painful inflammation in the foot is now being cured by Botox injections, with the chemical used to plump up the ball of the foot.

Medics at the Birkdale Clinic in Crosby, Merseyside, have seen a 20% increase in the number of women in their 40s asking for the £295 procedure, known as a "foot filler", due to too many years of high heels taking their toll.

Marie Jenkins, patient coordinator at the clinic, said with heels getting higher the procedure could become as common as breast enlargements or facelifts in years to come.

"More and more women are coming into the clinic to ask for foot fillers because their feet are starting to hurt," she said.

"This isn't the type of pain induced by a pair of new shoes but pain after years of teetering on high heels.

"The balls of the feet take a lot of pounding in high heels but some women refuse to give up them up.

"They 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.

"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.

"For many women this procedure is a godsend."

Popular in the US, the procedure enables women to have their own 'built-in protective pads' to keep them in heels.

Botox is more commonly used as a non-surgical way to treat the signs of ageing, including worry and frown lines, crow's feet or other wrinkles.

Using a micro-needle, minute amounts of Botulinum Toxin are injected into specific area of the body. The Botox relaxes those muscles and stops them forming lines and wrinkles, resulting in a more youthful appearance.