Introduction: Most of the days, we spent standing on our feet. Therefore, the feelings we perceive with our feet are important feedback that affects several factors including the quality of life for an individual. Walking sensations and footwear are the main factors when deciding for footwear and are quickly perceived by an individual's healthy foot. Most people prefer to choose soft and padded shoe textures over hard ones, as the pain perception threshold is thus lower. But the threshold for perceiving pain in healthy individuals varies from individual to individual depending on the gender, age, weight, breed, and culture. We know that the threshold for perceiving pain for people who love walking barefoot is higher than those who spend most of their time on the soft or smooth textures of any footwear. Slippers or »flip-flops« are classified as minimalist footwear, which to some extent simulate barefoot walking. Purpose: The purpose of this diploma work is to determine the effect of walking with slippers with unstructured texture on the perception of pain threshold in the area of myofascial trigger points of intrinsic foot muscles. Methods: The study was performed on 25 healthy male subjects without any foot deformations. Subjects participated in the 30 – minute walking intervention with flip flops with unstructured texture, a 30 – minute walking intervention with flip flops with smooth texture and a 30 – minute standing intervention with flip flops with unstructured texture. Before and after each intervention, the pain perception threshold was measured with a pressure algometer, so subjects could assess the pain intensity on a visible analog scale. During each intervention, at 10, 20, and 30 minutes, subjects also assessed comfort status on a visible analog scale. Results: The differences between all three interventions were statistically negligible. Walking with flip flops with unstructured texture suggests the most effective intervention of raising the pain perception threshold. Standing with flip flops with unstructured texture indicates to be more effective intervention compared to walking with flip flops with smooth texture. Discussion and conclusion: It is assumed that flip flops with an unstructured texture on the investigated myofascial trigger points of the intrinsic foot muscles of the foot achieved a state of hypoalgesia based on surface massage and accelerated blood circulation.
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