Flip Flops are a very popular and fashionable footwear to keep our feet cool in the summertime. But flip flops can cause us pain because they give us very little support, especially in our arches. If you can bend them in half, don’t buy them. They should only bend at the ball of your foot where your foot naturally bends. Also, make sure your toes don’t bend over the edges; this can lead to injuries when you trip and/or fall. You should not walk in them for long periods of time, as this can cause plantar fasciitis, tenderness, or inflammation in your heels.
Neck Pain from cell phones. It’s called “text neck” mainly because our heads and necks are bent downward most of the time checking our phones. It’s very common to develop shoulder, neck, and lower back pain as well. According to health.com and nytimes.com, young adults are growing small “horns” (bone spurs) at the base of the skull where the head bends down to look at cell phones and other devices. Disc problems are also occurring due to this bad posture.
Text Thumb: Does your thumb pop or snap when you bend it? Does it cause you any discomfort? This is due to the repetitive motions you use to click, drag, swipe and drop. In more serious cases, the thumb may even get locked into a curling position. Your doctor may recommend cortisone injections but can be restored to full mobility.
Elbow, back, and shoulder pain can come from carrying heavy loads, such as laptops, especially when we add accessories to the carrying case. As a rule, don’t carry more than 10% of our body weight. You may want to invest in a bag that has a wide strap. Don’t forget there are many “rolling” options available with wheels.
Ponytails. Do you notice that your head aches after a day wearing a ponytail? This doesn’t affect everyone, but it can be painful. Gee whiz, I wonder if the girls from the 1950s experienced this as well? Maybe their black and white saddle oxfords balanced them out while riding in their 57 Chevys? Those were the “good ole days”! Anyone remember?
As Mr. Miyagi, in the Karate Kid used to say: “Everything in balance”.
Medicalnewstoday.com / health.com / nytimes/com / digitalresponsibility.org