Tonight is your night. You're going out. You've got the dress—but most importantly— you've got the heels. Cut to two hours later: Heels are in your hands while you walk home a bit defeated by foot pain from your perfect shoes. I've been there, you've been there, we've all been there. But, relief is just a lotion away.
Celebrities, aka permanent wearers of the high heels, are now turning to CBD to relieve pain. Among its fans are Mandy Moore, who has said she uses CBD oil on her feet for heels at the recommendation of her stylist, and Kristen Bell, who said in her Instagram stories that she uses CBD lotion to soothe sore muscles after a workout.
"The number one benefit of CBD I see in my patients is pain relief from aches, pains, and sprains," says Dr. Richard Firshein, leading expert in integrative and precision-based medicine and founder of Firshein Center. "I have found it useful for treating a number of painful syndromes, including heel and foot pain—a particular problem for those wearing high heels or uncomfortable shoes."
CBD, the very buzzy beauty ingredient, is one of more than 120 compounds isolated in the cannabinoid family and boasts the ability to relieve chronic inflammation and pain. CBD is also free from the side effects caused by many drugs available as treatments for people who suffer from these conditions. "A recent study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine found that CBD significantly impacted chronic inflammation and neuropathic pain in laboratory animals without causing the kind of tolerance that opioids generally do," explains Dr. Firshein. "CBD’s primary mechanism of action is as an anti-inflammatory."
With relief in mind and the approval of Hollywood stars, I took it upon myself to see if CBD for heel pain really works.
I kicked off my CBD for heel pain journey with a bang. I had a fancy work event and I decided to pair my black jumpsuit with a pointy toe heel. Dressed as the poor man's Sandy from Grease, I ran around all night chatting and celebrating with my colleagues. The night was great, but I did make one rookie mistake: I applied the CBD oil after the party when my heels were off instead of before the event. Unfortunately, I was in pain during the event, and rushed to take off my shoes the second I got home. I applied CBD to my feet right away, and immediately felt relief. It felt like I had applied a topical BenGay cream without the hot and cold properties. It instantly relaxed my muscles, and I fell fast asleep. My week of CBD was off to a great start!
My thigh-high black velvet boots are my go-to shoes in the winter. I wasn't going to make the same mistake as the day before, so I applied CBD first thing in the morning. I usually walk to my subway train in sneakers and change when I get to work, but today was different. CBD was on my feet and I was ready to take on the day. To be honest, the magic of Monday was lost on Tuesday. My feet hurt, and I didn't feel like the CBD was working. I wanted to reapply during the day but I left my magic potion at home, so I sucked it up and kept my heels on all day. When I got home, I immediately applied more CBD and felt the now-familiar CBD-induced relief. Tomorrow was going to be a new day—and CBD was going in my work bag.
I was over wearing heels to work by Wednesday. I grabbed my favorite white booties and lathered up the CBD under my socks. After wearing heels for two days straight, I was surprised to realize I wasn’t waking up with sore feet. It was like Groundhogs Day: Same repetition without any of the effects of the previous day. I felt great walking to the subway. At my office, I only felt sore in the late afternoon. I applied and once again, the pain was almost instantly gone. It was official: I was drinking the CBD Kool-Aid.
I was wearing very high heels all week, but on Thursday I thought I could mix it up. I wore my new cowboy boots that have a very small heel, but cause a big discomfort to my feet, particularly my toes. For the majority of the week, I applied CBD where I commonly faced foot pain: my heels and my arch. CBD was relieving that pain, but could it extend to my crushed toes in my cowboy boots (probably a size too small)? Yes. CBD really had my back and I was now all-in.
My final day! Honestly, the excitement of not wearing heels anymore was all I was thinking about. The week of heels was a lot for a girl who loves sneakers, but that tube of a cannabinoid derivative was my knight in shining armor. My python boots are currently my favorite boots, but they do bring the pain. After work, I went to a "Yeehaw"-themed party and wore my heels all night without a hitch. I was, and am, sold. CBD works. You can dance the night away to "Old Town Road" in comfort. I definitely am adding this to my getting-ready routine when I wear heels next.
