Avoid Back Pain by Ditching Your Flip-Flops This Summer

When you were a kid, did you run around barefoot, especially during summer, and hate wearing shoes? Some kids grow out of that as they age and become accustomed to covering their feet. Others don’t and often wear the bare minimum—flip-flops. Convenient and airy, flip-flops seem like the perfect solution, but it can come at a price. Do you also experience consistent lower back pain? This is a common symptom of those who frequently don flip-flops instead of more supportive footwear. In this post, you’ll learn how these sandals can impact your well-being and your fun this summer.

How Flip-Flops Affect Your Back

Unlike most other kinds of shoes, flip-flops offer little to no support for your feet and ankles. This in and of itself can lead to a chain reaction eventually leading to excessive stress on your joints and lumbar pain. To add insult to injury, as you walk, flip-flops require you to curl your toes and take shorter strides to keep them on. As a result, your hip can come out of healthy alignment.

Ways to Deal with Summer Back Pain

This summer, you definitely shouldn’t have to suffer needlessly from back pain, especially because there are ways you can prevent and treat it. Pay attention to how your body feels and implement the following tips.

Slow Down

Summer is the perfect time for fun activities like hiking, running, and playing, but doing so while wearing flip-flops for prolonged periods of time can have you wincing in pain afterward. Either slow down your activity level or wear flip-flops less often so that you can eventually sit back, truly relax, and enjoy some down time without back pain.

Choose Alternative Footwear

These days, there are plenty of equally convenient options that don’t put as much stress on your back. Comfortable and stylish slip-on shoes, including sports sandals, are readily available and just as easy to get on. If you plan on visiting the beach or lake, water shoes can protect your feet and make walking much easier. These alternatives provide significantly more support for your feet, which translates to more support for your lumbar.

Visit Your Chiropractor

Regardless of what shoes you wear, you can benefit from visiting a chiropractor on a regular basis. Through a gentle adjustment, you can make sure your hip and lumbar areas are properly aligned. In some cases, your chiropractor may also be able to offer Sole Supports, which relieve foot and lower back pain by altering the way your feet react when you take a step.

You may not be a kid anymore, but you can still play and have fun this summer. By making sure your feet get the proper support, you can avoid unnecessary pain and create new summer memories with those you love most.

About the Author

Dr. Chad Wills prioritizes relieving pain and discomfort for his patients. For more than 20 years, he has helped Naples patients improve their overall health and achieve a more active lifestyle through effective therapies and services, such as Sole Supports. If you have questions about dealing with chronic back pain, you can contact him at Wills Chiropractic by clicking here.