Summer Fashion Can Affect Your Walk
Many people choose to wear flip-flops in the summertime, not realizing that they can damage your stride and feet. Flip-flops do not offer support or cushioning, and your toes tend to curl to grip tightly to the shoe surface, eventually causing mobility issues. Over time, you may also experience back pain, hip or knee misalignment, and you may start to roll your feet inward as you walk. A wedge sandal is not better. It has issues of potentially causing misalignment and hamstring muscle sprains.
Feet and Ankle Issues That Become Prominent When You Continuously Wear Flip-Flops:
- Inflammation-inflammation in your foot creates redness and pain in your foot. When you walk in flip-flops you are flexing your toes down to the floor. That motion forces impact the ball of your foot from the ground, causing pain and inflammation.
- Hammertoe-when toes bend unnaturally, it eventually creates a hammertoe. As time goes on, the toe will stiffen and cause your walk to become forced. It also causes pain as your toe pushes down onto the shoe, rather than resting and bending comfortably and naturally.
- Repetitive injuries-falling in flip-flops is common, but repeated wear may cause sprains, strains, stress fractures, and other foot and ankle issues.
- Shin splints-this occurs most commonly in military soldiers and runners, but it can also happen when you wear improper footwear. It creates a sharp and stabbing pain in the front of the leg from the knee to the ankle.
The team of foot experts at Desert Podiatric Medical Specialists in the Tucson, Oro Valley, and Green Valley areas of Pima County, Arizona, has extensive experience in treating issues of your ankles and feet. Our team of doctors: Christopher M. Funk, D.P.M., FACFAS, Bradley A. Whitaker, D.P.M., FACFAS, and Peter C. Merrill, D.P.M., AACFAS, and Zeno Pfau, D.P.M., will offer the greatest in technologically advanced methods and cutting edge medical technologies, including the PinPointe FootLaser, and Radial Pulse Therapy (RPT) for chronic pain. Please call (520) 575-0800 and make an appointment.
