Foot of the class

After wearing flip-flops all summer, students head back to school with painful feet

The sounds of back to school season include the ringing of school bells and cash registers, the slamming of locker doors, the noisy ruckus of school hallways and cafeterias, and the moans and groans of students over tests, homework, relationships, and increasingly, their aching feet.

Flip-flops are the summer footwear of choice for many students. But while these sandals are inexpensive and stylish, they don’t cushion or support the foot, leading to problems. After wearing flip-flops all summer, some students will head back to school this fall with foot pain and even injuries. Dr. Daniel D. Michaels, DPM, MS, FACFAS, a foot and ankle surgeon with offices in Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland, reminds parents and students that foot pain isn’t normal and can be reduced or eliminated.

“People may not realize that even into your mid-teens, there’s new bone growing in your heel,” says Dr. Michaels. “Flip-flops don’t cushion the heel, so repetitive stress from walking can inflame that heel bone growth area and cause pain and tenderness.”

Heel pain and arch pain rank among the most common complaints among students who wear flip-flops. Other flip-flop feet problems students can take back to school include inflammation of the Achilles tendon, painful pinched nerves, sprained ankles, broken or sprained toes, cuts and scrapes, plantar warts, Athlete’s foot, and callus build-up on the heels and toes.

Foot and ankle surgeons can usually reduce or eliminate students’ foot pain with simple treatment methods including stretching exercises, ice massage, anti-inflammatory medications, and custom or over-the-counter shoe inserts.

Back to school season will always be painful for some students, but it doesn’t need to involve foot pain.

For further information about foot or ankle conditions, contact one of our foot and ankle surgeons at the Reconstructive Foot & Ankle Institute, LLC.  Visit us on the web at www.rfainstitute.com or make an appointment with one of our state of the art offices in Maryland:

Hagerstown 301.797.8554, 1150 Professional Court, Suite C, 21740

Frederick 301.418.6014, 2100 Old Farm Drive, Suite D, 21702