A spring fashion emergency – sandals and backless shoes

Emergency might be strong. Yet, with spring comes a change in footwear for men and women and according to a report by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), spring fashion styles like backless shoes can be doing damage to your neck and back by altering your posture and gait.

“People start wearing mules, or backless shoes, a lot more when the weather warms up. These may look and feel comfortable, but the damage these can cause is real,” warns Dr. Dwyer. president of Chiropractic Society of Rhode Island and a chiropractic physician at Toll Gate Chiropractic in Warwick and Wakefield, Rhode Island. “Because these shoes have no back, it forces you to scrunch your feet to keep the shoe on. It will alter your stride while walking. This will impact your posture and can hurt your back.”

Dr. Dwyer advises the shake test. If you can shake your foot with a backless shoe on and it stays without you having to tense your toes, the shoe is good to wear. If you shake and it comes off, or you need to grip the shoe with your toes to keep it on, leave it off.

“As chiropractors, we offer a preventative form of medicine. It’s our specialty to mitigate an existing condition and prevent a future one. Many times it means patients taking actions to help themselves. Making shoe choices that do not impede spinal health is one of them,” said Dr. Dwyer. “That doesn’t mean never wearing flip flops. But do so wisely and in moderation.”

Working with a chiropractor for periodic adjustments is a great way to ensure what you’re wearing is not hurting you physically and that you feel as good as you look. To find a chiropractor in Rhode Island, you can go to www.richiro.org.

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