Flip Flops Bad for Your Health?
Monday, March 24th, 2008
Perfect for hot weather, they have been the fashion hit of the summer. But doctors have warned flip flops can be as bad for your health as they are for your career, wearing them to work was an invitation to be sacked. Now medics have joined the attack by saying they can lead to joint pain, shin splints and twisted ankles.
Wearing flat shoes stretches the calf muscles hugely if the wearer is used to wearing a heel. It strains the Achilles tendon and the back of the leg. Pain can start to develop after two weeks. And the single thong between the toes offered the wearer ‘no support’.
Doctors recommend that flip flops should be saved for the beach and replaced with shoes with backs or proper straps to hold the foot in place. Figures show that 55,100 men and women went to hospital with flip flop-related complaints in 2002.
Another problem overuse. When people wear flip flops all the time they are constantly scrunching their toes up into a claw. This can cause problems such as tendonitis and even shin splints. People go to work in them and stand in them all day. They are also extremely unstable so you are more likely to trip over and hurt yourself.
So the bottom line on flip flops is wear them in moderation or not at all. If you must wear them, reserve your time in them to the beach or quick walks outside, like checking the mail or bringing the dog inside for the evening. There are several shoes made anymore to replace the flip flop, so look around you may find one better and even more supportive than the flip flop.
