We all love flip flops, especially in the hot summer days where pumps just won’t cut it. However, podiatrists and sports medicine experts are warning everyone that wearing flip flops might be actually harmful to our feet and backs.
Being loose and un-supportive they can affect the way we walk (in order not to lose a pair) and can cause lower back problems due to lack of arch support. These are of course long term effects of sporting that fashion essential, but short term effects include injury to feet and ankles from twisting and sprains.
Flip flops with sturdy, thick soles are highly recommended (though being a bit less fashionable) for providing the support your back needs. According to Joel Brook, DPM, podiatrist on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, wearing flip-flops everyday or for hours at a time can walk you right into major health issues. "Sometimes it’s an acute pain that really stops you in your tracks, and sometimes it’s a dull, aching, fatigue-like pain that you feel in your feet and can actually start radiating up your leg," said Brooks, and the reason behind this problem is lack of support.
Your feet in flip-flops lie completely flat. "If you put yourself in a situation where you’re going to spend the entire day walking you need to think about what you’re wearing on your feet and flip-flops are not a good idea," said Brooks. If you can’t lose the flops, Brooks suggests "A flip-flop or a sandal that is well constructed—that provides good arch support, good cushion and shock absorption in the heel and forefoot—that really can help with some of these symptoms," said Dr. Brooks.
From ankle, knee, hip, lower back, and tendon pain, all the way to bacterial infections and skin boils and callus, flip flops are slowly torturing our precious feet. Give your feet a break, get a pedicure, and buy supporting sandals or flip flops to avoid life-long foot damage in the future.
Source: MSN
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