A new study released last week outlines the negative health effects that can result from wearing tight jeans; specifically skinny jeans. The study also outlined that squatting in these jeans can actually cause nerve and fiber damage in legs and feet.
The study was published in the Journal of Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, it outlines the case of a 35 year old woman who was recently treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia, reportedly for severe weakness in both of her ankles.
This story has been going around the internet lately and we thought we’d make it clear what is being said and what the risks actually are.
From The Study
“On the day prior to presentation, she had been helping a family member move house. This involved many hours of squatting while emptying cupboards. She had been wearing ‘skinny jeans’, and recalled that her jeans had felt increasingly tight and uncomfortable during the day. Later that evening, while walking home, she noticed bilateral foot drop and foot numbness, which caused her to trip and fall. She spent several hours lying on the ground before she was found.
On examination, her lower legs were markedly oedematous bilaterally, worse on the right side, and her jeans could only be removed by cutting them off. There was bilateral, severe global weakness of ankle and toe movements, somewhat more marked on the right. Muscle power at the hips and knees was normal, knee jerks were normal and ankle jerks were absent. Sensation was impaired over the lateral aspects of both lower legs, and the dorsum and sole of both feet. Peripheral pulses were normal. The feet were warm and well-perfused.”
The woman’s jeans ended up having to be cut off, and she spent four days in the hospital until the condition of her feet and ankles improved enough for her to walk unaided.
Other Tight Fitting Garments May Also Be Unsafe
Skinny jeans are not the only culprit for the effects certain garments may have on your health. “Spanx” body shapers, and other tight fitting underwear can and has caused nerve damage and health concerns to some of its users. Read more about these dangers here.
What Can You Do?
It is important to note that this study was conducted based off the sole case of the woman who was mentioned at the beginning of this article. There needs to be some more extensive research done on a control group of women who are wearing skinny jeans and women who are not for an extended period of time for there to be any solid evidence.
For me personally, I have experienced some pain in my calves and ankles from wearing skinny jeans for an extended period of time. Tight fitting skinny jeans would be worse for your circulation. Your best option would be to wear comfortably fitting stretchy skinny jeans instead. Also, try to limit the amount of time you are wearing these.
Have you experienced any pain or discomfort while wearing skinny jeans? Feel free to share in the comments section below!
Much Love
