The infamous favorite sandal for many, the Flip Flop, may be at the root of your nagging foot, knee, leg or back pain. Heading into summer, it might be a good idea to reconsider your choice of footwear… after a few months of flip flop wearing, you may find yourself dealing with chronic injuries. Read on to find out how all about how these shoes can wreak havoc on your body! Who knew?
Flip Flops are convenient, affordable and even fashionable, sandals for many people. But research shows that they are not so easy on the feet and are to blame for many injuries which can hang around long after the flip flops have been relegated to the closet.
The flat spongy sole of the flip flop provides no support for the foot. During normal gait in a supportive shoe, when the foot strikes the ground, the arch of the foot locks to absorb the forces arising from the foot hitting the ground. With a flip flop, however, when the foot strikes, the lack of support in its sole doesn’t permit the arch of the foot to lock and allows the foot to roll in excessively, causing over-pronation. The tendons and muscles in the lower leg and ankle must work excessively to support the foot and counter this pronation. This can lead to such injuries as Achilles Tendinitis and Shin Splints. Achilles tendinitis is characterized by pain and swelling along the tendon that attaches to the heel. Pain along the anterior part of the tibia and muscle in the lower leg is often the sign of shin splints.
Long-term over-pronation can also lead to a loss of the normal arches of the foot, causing a multitude of other problems in the feet, such as Hammer Toes and bunions. A hammer toe is a deformity of the second, third or fourth toes. When wearing flip flops, the toes have to curl to hold the shoe on the foot. This prolonged flexion of the toes ultimately causes the muscles and tendons to shorten, thus resulting in a flexed or hammer-toe deformity.
The poor foot mechanics that flip flops create can also cause Bunions or Hallux Valgus. They are characterized by a deformity of the big toe in which the first toe tends to deviate or lean towards the second toe and results in an enlargement of the joint. Pain in the joint of the first toe with swelling and redness are common symptoms of bunions. Over time, this deviation causes abnormal wear and tear in the joint leading to osteoarthritis.
The thong design of a flip flop also adds to the problem. Normal gait is altered with this design because the toes must grip the sole to keep the flip flop on the foot while walking. This stresses the bottom of the foot, shortening the tissue of the sole of the foot and can lead to Plantar Fasciitis and heel pain. Wearing flip flops creates a shorter step during gait and a change in the angle of the ankle which requires the muscles in the anterior part of the shin to work excessively, and can consequently cause shin splints. Untreated, shin splints can lead to stress fractures and consequently, prolonged healing.
Flip flops are also the culprit behind some types of knee pain. Due to the lack of arch support in this shoe and the resulting pronation, mal-alignment issues can arise in joints higher up in the body, most commonly the knee. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is one problem that can occur in which the knee cap tracks laterally, resulting in pain around the patella and inside of the knee.
COMMON INJURIES CAUSED BY FLIP FLOPS…
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Heel Pain
- Bunions
- Achilles tendinitis
- Knee pain
- Anterior hip pain
- Low back pain
- Hammer Toes
- Arch pain
- Shin splints/tibial stress fractures
This is a list of common injuries that are often a result of prolonged flip-flop wearing. Consult with a physiotherapist if you suspect that you may be suffering from one or more of these ailments. The good news is that these are mechanical problems that can usually be addressed with appropriate treatment, footwear and/or orthotics.
Summer is almost here… time to give those feet some support!
Judy Fullerton, BScPT, FCAMPT, Registered Physiotherapist
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