While flip flops may be synonymous with summer and relaxation, be aware of the problems they could cause.

With summer now in full swing, Orlando Foot & Ankle Clinic would like you to be aware of the dangers of flip flop overuse. Below are some flip flop foibles to consider:

• Flip flops have an astonishing amount of bacteria. In 2009, Today.com published their findings of a lab test done on two pairs of flip flops. They found more than 18,000 bacteria on just one pair of flip flops. If that number doesn’t shock you, perhaps the types of bacteria found will; bacteria from fecal matter, skin and respiratory germs have all been found on flip flops. The longer the shoe is worn, the more it collects. One pair of 6-year-old flip flops contained germs that cause diaper rash and even yeast infections. Ever scratch your foot, or readjust your shoe at the table while wearing flip flops? That bacteria is now on your hand.

• Flip flops can cause hammertoes. Holding on to the flip flop with your toes, often done instinctively to help stabilize the foot over time, can lead to hammertoes. A hammertoe is a toe that is bent due to a weakened muscle making the tendons shorter, causing the toes to curl under the feet.

• Flip flops can cause arch pain, knee pain and hip pain. Flip flops often do not offer any support to the arch of the foot. Without a stable base to stand on, you may be prone to rotating your feet inward or outward as you walk, throwing off your gait and causing pain.

• Flip flops can cause blisters and burning sensations. Your feet are never at rest in a flip flop. When your feet are in constant motion, that motion creates friction. The friction of your foot rubbing around within the flip flop can cause a burning sensation or blisters on the pads and underside of your feet.

• Flip flops can cause plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the connective tissue that stretches from the base of the toes, across the arch of the foot, to the point at which it inserts into the heel bone. If you experience heel pain when wearing flip flops or after wearing flip flops, that could be plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.

This year, the Orlando Foot & Ankle Clinic and Dr. Douglas Childs celebrate their 16th year in Apopka. Orlando Foot & Ankle Clinic offers solutions for a wide variety of conditions such as in-grown toenails and fungus. Plantar fasciitis or heel spur syndrome can grow behind or under the heel bone, and Dr. Childs can relieve the spurs quickly and easily, usually without surgery.

Orlando Foot & Ankle Clinic uses custom orthotics, medication, or physical therapy to help you walk comfortably again. They also offer state-of-the-art minimally invasive radiofrequency TOPAZ treatments to successfully treat this condition. Bunions and hammertoes left untreated can severely affect walking and balance, especially in older patients.

Corns and calluses, warts, and Morton’s Neuroma are common foot problems associated with pain, swelling, and/or inflammation of a nerve, usually at the ball of the foot. Orlando Foot & Ankle Clinic has many effective treatments to combat all of these.

Orlando Foot & Ankle Clinic is located at 202 N. Park Avenue, Suite 500, across from the old Florida Hospital Apopka location. For more information, call their office at 407-423-1234.

Advertisement