Victoria Beckham, the former Spice Girl known for her high heels, was forced to wear flats recently due to a slipped disc.
But the heels aren't to blame for the back injury, Dr. Neel Anand of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center tells the Los Angeles Times.
"There is no data that relates slipped discs to high heels," said the director of orthopedic spine surgery, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. "There is no data to prove it, and I don't think that's an issue at all."
A slipped disc, Anand said, is essentially a disc herniation, the Los Angeles Times reports. Bones that make up the spine are cushioned by discs.
"They're like spongy bumpers, like a car tire," which cushions the bones, he said. "Like radial tires, when they get a tear, the gelatinous material in the middle can start to squish out." When that happens, it can put pressure on nerves in the spinal canal, causing pain.
A herniated disc can be caused by normal wear and tear, such as bending over or lifting things, Anand told the newspaper. Pregnancy can also put extra strain on a woman's back, which may have been the case for Beckham, who recently gave birth to her fourth child.
"Some women actually feel better while wearing high heels," he told the Los Angeles Times. "I tell them to do whatever feels comfortable. If they've been in high heels all their life, they'll probably do better in them than taking them off."
That's good news for Beckham, who hopes to be back in her sky-highs soon.
“Heels will put added pressure on the damaged area but it’s healing well,” a source tells People, “so it may not be an issue in another couple weeks.”
