Why Barefoot Running Is So Fascinating
Why run or walk barefoot?
- Strengthen the muscles in your feet
- Be injury free thanks to proper foot and body mechanics
- Increased sensory perception (and running pleasure)
- Run easier and faster and be injury-free for life
Check it out…
Look at the illustration below. When a runner strikes the ground wearing running shoes, the positive heel (all that foam/air/gel cushioning) causes him/her to heel strike, then ‘roll’ and push off. This is NOT how our body is designed to run. Look at the runner on the right. When you’re barefoot (or nearly barefoot) you will land gently and feel the ground below your feet. This is very important to be a healthy and injury-free runner. Now you try! Run 20 yards in your runners, then do the same barefoot. Have someone watch you just in case you fall over from glee!
A Few Common Questions
Q: What’s wrong with running shoes?
A: A lot. Running shoes “shield” your feet and body from the natural cushioning it’s designed for, actually causing more impact to your body, not less. Nearly all traditional running shoes have a thick midsole at the heel which causes heel strike, another major injury cause. Read more here…Q: So, what are you saying?
A: Toss your shoes away and run barefoot! But wait, there’s more! There are things to consider first, that’s where this site comes in. Read on…Q: I heard about barefoot running, doesn’t it hurt?
A: If you jump right into it, then in short, yes. You’ll use muscles you’ve never used before. As you transition to barefoot running, you should start slowly. Ease into your mileage and listen to you feet. Most runner’s require 3-4 weeks before achieving ~80% of their regular mileage sans shoes.Q: OK, I’m onboard with this barefoot running, but can’t always run sans shoe, then what?
A: As many other runners, I had the same problem. There are many environmental and sometimes social reasons for wearing “running shoes”. For this and other reasons there ‘alternatives’ are slowly becoming available. My Skora project is progressing to launch late 2010. Meanwhile, take a look at our minimal shoe reviews.A few medical quotes
“Running related Chronic injuries to bone and connective tissue in the legs are rare in developing countries, where most people are habitually barefooted.”
Michael Warbutton – Gateway Physiotherapist Australia. 2001Barefoot training helps correct form and reduces foot, shin and muscle injuries.”
Dr. William A. Rossi, D.P.M. 1999.“Where barefoot and shod populations exist, as in Haiti, injury rates of the lower extremity are substantially higher in the shoe wearing population.”
Robins SE and Hanna AM – Running related injury“…natural gait is impossible for the shoe-wearing foot …and it is equally impossible for any orthotic to achieve “correct” foot and body balance …no matter how correct and precise the biomechanical design.”
Dr. William A. Rossi, D.P.M. “Why Shoes Make ‘Normal’ Gait Impossible.” Podiatry Management
As a chiropractor who specializes in soft tissue injuries, I see a lot of runners in my office. Many of these runners have developed what are called repetitive overuse injuries. They have developed painful conditions as a result of using a certain part of their bodies too much. The question is why these injuries or conditions usually occur on one side of the body and not the other. For example, we often see achilles tendinosis on the right foot but not the left and vice versa.
Because of this we must assume that the body has lost it’s proper balance. The right side is being used more than the left side and this is probably happening because the body is compensating for a weakness. The body’s efficiency has been lost somehow.
Barefoot running aims to bring the runners stride back to its roots. Humans have evolved over many millions of years, and a majority of those years we were without footwear. Therefore, the theory of barefoot running is based in common sense. Our bodies were designed to operate a certain way. Why put shoes on and violate the bodies design?
The #2 Most Common Preventable Cause Of Death?
The #1 and #3 causes of death in the United States will probably not surprise anyone. What is surprising to most is the #2 preventable cause of death.
#1 is exactly what you thought. Smoking.
#3 is another one you may have been guessing. Obesity.
The second leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States are medical errors.
As chiropractors, we bring this statistic up not to put down the medical profession, but rather to try and shift the way people think about their health. Simply put, it’s much easier to prevent disease than to treat it.
Via: Term Life Insurance
Is McDonalds Real Food?
We all know that McDonald’s and other fast food items are not healthy. We know they are loaded with fat and preservatives. We understand that health complications like diabetes and obesity are directly related to the consumption of fast food. However, sometimes we have to see a thing to believe it’s true. Chiropractors have, for years, put displays in their office to show the dangers of eating fast food. Major news outlets are finally picking up on a very strange phenomenon seen in McDonald’s hamburgers.
What’s the strange phenomenon? Watch the video below:
The McDonald’s hamburger does not rot. We know that the meat in these hamburgers is loaded with preservatives. The meat is also loaded with lots of sodium. Sodium is one of natures strongest preservatives, and has been used as such for centuries. The most peculiar thing about all this is that the bun does not rot. Mold, fungus, and bacteria have no interest in either the meat or the bun. Insects like ants that each almost anything have no interest in the hamburger. These organisms don’t see the McDonald’s hamburger as real food!
If this doesn’t make you think twice the next time you are craving McDonald’s, then what will?
AC Joint pain and Active Release Technique
People with pain at the top of their shoulder may be suffering from a repetitive overuse disorder of the acromioclavicular (A.C.) joint. Repetitive overuse conditions arise when an area in the body is used too much, and not given enough rest. We must first clarify that there can be a variety of injuries to the AC joint that require different levels of medical attention. A completely separated shoulder is one example of something that needs immediate medical attention and surgical repair. However, there are some cases where there has been no specific trauma to the shoulder. We see a lot of AC joint problems in tennis players and baseball pitchers, as well as any sport that involves a throwing or swinging motion.
Up until relatively recently, athletes with AC joint problems had very few options to try and treat their shoulder pain. They could go the route of physical therapy, where the therapist will attempt to strengthen the shoulder girdle as well as stretch any muscles that are tight. They may also administer therapeutic ultrasound, electric stimulation, ice, heat, and cold laser. The benefits of this kind of treatment have been questionable at best. Orthopedic doctors will sometimes administer cortisone shots to reduce inflammation. This is not recommended as cortisone has been shown to permanently weaken tendons.
Nowadays, professional sports teams and many physical therapists and chiropractors are using Active Release Techniques to treat AC joint and shoulder injuries. Rotator cuff problems and frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) are also conditions that respond very well to this type of treatment. Active Release providers are trained to treat over 600 different muscle and nerve problems. Basically, the goal of ART is to lengthen muscles and other soft tissue that are tight, while also breaking up scar tissue which has accumulated in the overused area over time. In our chiropractic office in Mission Viejo, CA, we are getting phenomenal results with shoulder problems such as AC joint pain using this technique.
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