The warm weather has arrived in Florida (fortunately without the high humidity yet). If that’s not your experience where you live, can you imagine? Pretend that you’re trading in your wool socks and closed-in boots for “spring/summer attire”? Where I live, that means flip-flops and slides – the topic of my post today.
So, what’s wrong with these free-wheeling shoes? Plenty. Especially if you’re someone who is on their feet a lot and doesn’t take preventative measures to keep them healthy and strong.
As an experiment, don your fave flip-flops, walk slowly and pay attention to what your toes must do to keep those fun shoes on your feet.
When you wear shoes that don’t stay connected to your foot when moving, the “grip” needed to keep that footwear on causes a chain reaction in your lower body.
The heads of the metatarsals and the distal phalanx of all digits are driven into the ground
creating higher-than-normal pressure (think calluses, metatarsalgia, risk of fracture)
The ends of the individual phalanxes at the proximal interphalangeal joints are driven up into the top of that cute slide (think corns, calluses).
Unnecessary muscle tension is created down the front of the leg (Try this: while seated, place your hands on the front of your leg to the outside of the tibia, and grip your toes hard. Feel the muscle contraction in your leg?)
When interviewing people who have consulted me about their chronic foot pain, I often find footwear to be involved with the problem. Wearing the same pair all day, every day – lack of support – improper fit – unsuitable shoe for the purpose – inflexibility. And in sunny climates, the ubiquitous wearing of flip-flops. (In the UK, plantar fasciitis is often referred to as flip-flop disease.)
Attendees at the How to Relieve Chronic Foot Pain look at ways to help people suffering from foot pain, in ways that don’t always mean stepping away from fashion forever. We look at nearly 20 conditions that can cause people problems in their feet and outline ways that we can help those folks with hands-on protocols, awareness, coaching and homework assignments. North American reflexologists with these skills are really appreciated in a culture boasting over 40,000 adults suffering from chronic foot pain!
Please join us and learn how you can help those in your community who are living in pain.
May 2 and 3 in Gainesville, Florida.
Later in the year: British Columbia, Washington, Ontario, Quebec and North Dakota!
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