Victoria Beckham's back agony: New mother's slipped disc means she struggles to hold her baby daughter Harper

By Liz Thomas





Victoria Beckham appears to be paying the price for wearing high heels in the late stages of pregnancy.



She is in such pain from a slipped disc that she is struggling even to lift her baby daughter Harper Seven.



Friends say that the 37-year-old Spice Girl turned fashion designer slipped the disc while she was expecting, and it was exacerbated by her caesarean operation five weeks ago.



Desperate for a daughter: Victoria Beckham had longed for a daughter before Harper was born and could now become a member of the SMOGs





This has left her confined to the California beachfront house owned by Steven Spielberg which the family have rented for the summer.



'She has been pretty much housebound as she cannot really walk very much right now and she cannot bend to pick anything up,' said one source.



Mrs Beckham attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton when she was six months pregnant and wore vertiginous Christian Louboutin heels – long after many women would have opted for something more comfortable.



Wearing high heels, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy, can increase the risk of a slipped disc as they distort the shape of the spine and place further pressure on the lower back and neck, which are already under strain.



Gratitude: The mother-of-four thanked fans for their concern after news of her injury emerged





Mrs Beckham has barely been seen in public since giving birth and has been holed away with her family as she tries to recuperate at the £90,000-a-month Spielberg pile.



Husband David is helping her to carry the little girl and hold her while she is nursing.



She is desperately trying to get back to health in time for New York Fashion Week next month where she will showcase her Spring/Summer 2012 collection.



A spokesman said: 'Victoria has a back condition. She is resting and receiving treatment.' The couple have three sons: Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, eight, and Cruz, six.



Mrs Beckham worked through all her pregnancies and ignored advice to wear flat shoes.



Weight loss rumours: It had been alleged that Victoria locked herself away in order to get back in shape for New York Fashion Week next month



Big deal: Victoria is said to have gained over 1st during her pregnancy - a back complaint was allegedly aggravated during her C-section





It is estimated that one in five people in the UK will suffer a slipped disc at some point in their life.



The spine consists of 24 vertebrae stacked on top of each other. Discs are the protective, circular pads of cartilage which lie between the vertebrae and are responsible for cushioning the spine.



The discs are made from a tough, fibrous case, which contains a softer, gel-like substance. A slipped disc occurs when the outer part of the disc ruptures, allowing the gel inside to bulge and protrude between the vertebrae.



A number of health experts advise women to avoid high heels in the later stages of pregnancy.



Helping out: David Beckham has apparently been assisting Victoria while she rests her injured back





TV doctor Chris Steele, from This Morning, said: 'The pregnancy could have caused Victoria Beckham to suffer a slipped disc, as it usually occurs as a result of lifting something heavy. In this case it could simply be carrying a baby that caused the initial problem.



'But she should not have been wearing high heels if there was any back pain at all.



I have also seen her carrying rather large, heavy handbags, and this too is not good for the spine as it puts too much pressure on it.'



Lorraine Jones, from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, said women feel under pressure to wear stilettos but are risking long-term damage, as well as strains to their ankles and ligaments.



She said in a recent interview: 'High heels alter your posture, shorten your calf muscles and place increased pressure on your back and knees.'



Step out of the car: David was stopped by police today in California and was asked to pull over onto the hard shoulder



Not allowed: The family's Cadillac Escalade was stopped in Malibu as it has all-black fully tinted windows - which is illegal in California as the windscreen has to be clear



On your way: Officers gave the star a ticket and allowed him to drive back to his beachside house





The couple ran into further trouble today when police pulled over their Cadillac Escalade.



The car had all-black fully tinted windows, which is illegal in California because the windscreen has to be clear.



David got a fixable ticket and witnesses said he was visibly upset when he headed off home.



Mrs Beckham has still been talking to her fans on the social networking site Twitter and has posted updates and pictures online.



Within days of giving birth to her first daughter, she wrote: 'Baby Harper is the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen, I have fallen in love all over again!!! We all feel so blessed and the boys love their baby sister so much!!!'



Her husband has also been using Facebook to give fans family updates.



He revealed that their daughter's names were inspired partly by To Kill A Mockingbird author Harper Lee, and partly by the number 7 shirt he wore for Manchester United and England.





source:dailymail