Unfortunately after a summer of fun and flip-flops, a lot of students return to school with nagging foot pain. For many of us, including our children, flip-slops are the summertime footwear of choice. They are relatively inexpensive, cool and stylish, but they don’t really cushion and support your feet. If worn too often your favorite flip-flops can lead to several different types of foot pain.
Toe pain
Flip-flops have only a thin strip of fabric or rubber holding the shoe to the foot. Consequently, your toes compensate by gripping the soles to keep them from slipping off. With continuous wear the toes are over-used, and the continuous muscle action can lead to tendinitis, an inflammation of the tendons and connective muscles that may cause tears or ruptures in the tendons.
Ankle, back and hip pain
Since flip-flops are not securely fastened to the foot, you may well change the way you walk when wearing them. Though you may not notice the change, your body certainly does. Most people take shorter steps to keep them on their feet, and you might also drag your feet. Combined, these things can throw off your natural balance and stride, leading to ankle, knee, hip or back issues.
Plantar fasciitis
In addition to being flimsy, flip-flops are flat, and their lack of support can cause a lot of pain. You have a thin band of tissue running along the bottom of your feet, from the heel to the ball of your foot. This band, the plantar fascia, creates the arch of your foot. Continued lack of support from wearing flip-flops can lead to a painful inflammation of this band known as plantar fasciitis. In addition to the pain, left untreated, plantar fasciitis can cause the foot to start to flatten.
So as school resumes, if your kids are not just moaning about homework and tests, but foot pain as well, those summer flip-flops may be the culprit.
If the pain persists, we urge you to make an appointment and come see us at Alpine Foot Specialists. Dr. Anna Gurrera and Dr. David Charnota specialize in providing foot care for the entire family. They’ll carefully analyze your problem and prescribe the treatment needed to end the pain and give you happy feet again!
By the way, we also urge you to follow us on Facebook for frequent tips on proper foot care.