Surprising Cause of Post-Quarantine Foot Pain
At Goldsmith Podiatry, we’re hearing from more and more Manhattan patients that they are experiencing flare-ups of foot issues they’ve experienced in the past and also cases of new-onset of unexplained foot pain. Foot pain can have many causes and is best diagnosed by one of our podiatrists, Dr. Howard Goldsmith or Dr. Rosanna Troia. Some common sources include:
Biomechanical problems
Overuse or repetitive pressure to one particular part of the foot
A non-acute injury such as a stress fracture
But perhaps the most frequent reason for foot pain is your footwear.
Time to Get Out of Your Pajamas
A curious phenomenon during the self-quarantining that took place for several months during the pandemic is what you might call “Slipper Feet.” With working from home, having food and other necessities delivered, and basically staying inside 24/7, many people began wearing their slippers all the time. And why not? They’re comfortable, easy to slip on and off, and fine for indoor wear, right? Yes, but no. Slippers are not designed as shoes. They rarely have any arch or heel support or cushioned insoles. Slippers are meant to be worn for short periods in the morning when you get up, and in the evening right before bed.
If you’ve been wearing slippers all day, every day for the last two-plus months, you may notice pain in different areas of your feet:
Heel pain—lack of arch support can lead to inflammation of the plantar fascia (the long band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot). When this happens, you will often experience pain in the heel and also the arch of your foot.
Forefoot and toes—you probably aren’t conscious of it, but most slippers require something of a gripping action by your toes to keep them on properly. This constant clawing with your toes can exacerbate conditions like hammertoe and also result in pain in other areas of the forefoot.
Sore or stiff ankles—your typical mule-style slipper has little or no side support. This can lead to an increase in ankle-twisting when the back of your foot slides off the slipper.
Hopefully, as we all start going places where footwear other than slippers is required, cases of “Slipper Feet” will decrease. In the meantime, contact our Upper West side office by calling (212) 877-1002 to get any persistent foot or ankle pain evaluated.