Are Your Flip Flops Causing Injury?

Believe it or not but wearing flip flops, sandals or light slip on shoes over the summer can cause injury .

Most summer shoes have very little support or shock absorbency.

With most of us having dropped foot arches this can lead to stresses on muscles and joints leading to injury long after summer has ended.

Many clients of our Physiotherapist and sports therapist have what is called 'flat feet', where the arch of the foot is less than it should be. Foot mobility and arch is important for weight transfer during walking and running - transmitting forces from the ground up through the lower limb. To do this effectively the foot must 'supinate' - raise the foot arch at the appropriate time. This is what locks the foot and allows the force to be transmitted further up the leg to the working muscles. If the foot is 'pronated' to start with, excess force goes through the foot, ankle, knee and even the hip. This builds up and causes muscle imbalances, foot and ankle sprains, knee pain and other soft tissue injuries.

So here are some tips to help you this summer:

1. Try and chose foot wear with arch support such as fit-flop, ecco and geox.

2. Try and avoid very flat sandals or trainers with flat soles. If you must wear them try and avoid wearing for long periods of time.

3. Try some exercises to improve the foot muscle function and improve muscle imbalances further up the leg. An assessment with our Physiotherapist or Sports Therapist can help with this.

4. Look at getting arch supports - orthotics to improve your foot positioning if necessary.

If you think you suffer from any of the above, do not panic! Come and see one of the Physiotherapists or Sports Therapist to asses and treat any symptoms.

Happy Monday!

Have a great week from the Pro Fusion Therapy Team