Barefoot Running Tips

Barefoot running has become increasingly popular in the last few years, due in large part to the book “Born to Run”.

The author, Christopher McDougall, details his quest to find a way to run without pain. You see, he was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, a very painful type of tendonitis of the foot.  After he was diagnosed, he saw some of the top foot doctors in the country.  All of them prescribed arch supports for his feet, and recommended he stop running.  These recommendations only made his foot problem worse.

He then started studying the world’s top distance runners and found that many of them run barefoot.  Going against what the top doctors in America told him, he started to give barefoot running a try.  To make a long story short, he now runs 50 mile races without plantar fasciitis.

As someone who has made the transition to barefoot running myself, I can tell you that it isn’t an easy thing to do.  It can be painful until you get used to it.  Here are some tips that will make it easier for you:

• I recommend wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes, because they will protect your feet and at the same time allow them to move naturally as you run.
• Start by running on grass, pavement is too tough on your feet early on.
• It will take 2 to 3 months for your feet to toughen up enough to run on pavement. The bones on the feet de-mineralize and weaken as the result of wearing shoes with arch supports.  It will take a few months for the bones to harden up again.
• Concentrate on standing tall when you run, especially as you get tired.  Good posture is essential when you run barefoot.  If you lean forward too much, your feet will hurt almost immediately.
• During your stride, do not put your foot down until it stops moving forward.  You will avoid pounding your joints and it makes you run faster.
• Push off with your toes in the back of your stride.  You will run faster and feel better.  This sets up a kinetic chain that will actually help straighten your back and fix alignment problems in your body.  This is why so many people feel better after switching to barefoot running.

For more information on foot issues log on to: www.stopyourfootpain.com

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How to Choose a Good Shoe?

Every shoe company has their own little twist on what makes their shoe better.  You see bigger cushions, arch supports, odd shaped soles, inflatable shock absorbers and just about anything a shoemaker can dream up.

But, what makes a good shoe ?  And, how do you know if a shoe is really good for you ?

As I have written in other articles, arch supports are no good.  Contrary to what shoe companies, orthotic makers and many doctors say, arch supports do nothing to treat or prevent injury.  This is not just my opinion.  The British Journal of Sports Medicine did an extensive study of footwear in 2008.  They concluded that there is no scientific evidence anywhere, that arch supports either treat or prevent injury.

You can also test whether arch supports are good for your body.  Stand barefoot and walk around, take deep breaths, stand on one foot, move side to side or any movement you want to test.  Then put your arch supports on.  You will notice that it is more difficult to do any movement you choose while wearing arch supports.  (Yes, even your breathing can feel more restricted.)

So, when you look for a shoe, make sure the inside is level from side to side.

Also, make sure the back of the heel of the shoe is the highest point.  If any part of the shoe is higher than the heel, it will cause your shoulders to droop when you walk.

Make sure the shoe is wide enough across the toes.  If it is too tight, not only does it hurt your foot, it will cause balance problems.  You can test this by putting on a tight pair of shoes and standing for a while.  You will notice that you sway more in tight shoes.

To find out more about how I treat foot problems, balance disorders and back pain: log on to:  www.painfree-greatposture.com and order a free report.

Arch Supports…“JUST SAY NO!”

Almost every doctor or foot expert in the country will tell you to pick shoes that have “good arch support”.  However, a study performed in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed 35 years of research on footwear.  They concluded that there is no evidence whatsoever, that arch supports either treat or prevent injuries.  None.

They even contacted all the major shoe companies and asked for their research.  None replied.  What that means is, they either don’t have any research, or the research they have, shows their shoes don’t work.

The same goes for all the orthotics on the market.  Its all smoke and mirrors.  There is no evidence that these gadgets work.

From what I have observed over the last fifteen years in my office, arch supports actually make your body worse.  Arch supports tend to do the following:

1. They make your body posture slump forward.
2. Your breathing will be more restricted when wearing arch supports.
3. Your gait will be more restricted.
4. Your feet will tend to pound at the ground when you walk.
5. Arch supports limit your ability to change directions, causing decreased sports performance.
6. Your body will be more unstable when wearing arch supports.

You can test these things for yourself.  Do the following tests, first without shoes, then with shoes on.  (95% of shoes have arch supports in them)

1. Have someone stand in back of you and gently push on your shoulders.  See if you are more stable with shoes or without.
2. Have someone look at your posture, how does it look?
3. Take a few deep breaths see if you get restricted.
4. Walk around a little.  Do walk tall or do you slump over.  Do you pound the floor?
5. Shuffle around a little and see you change direction (move like playing tennis or shadowboxing)  Is you ability to change direction better, the same or worse with the shoes on.

Some of these tests, you may not notice a difference.  But, for most, you will.  Sometime it can be very dramatic.

What’s the best type of shoe ?  Time after time, when I have performed these tests with people, the best shoes turn out to be a flat, flexible shoe with a wide toe box.  A shoe with a small heel is good for most people, provided the back of the heel is the highest part of the shoe.

Vibram five finger shoes are the best by far, but they look weird and aren’t everyone’s style.  MUDD’s women’s shoes are perfect, I’ve never seen a bad shoe from them.  The have a nice size heel and women usually say they are the most comfortable shoe they own.  Cheap flat tennis shoes like Chuck Taylor’s or PF Flyers work out great.  I used to recommend Sketcher’s, however, in the past couple of years the company got sucked into the arch support vortex, and they are doing strange things with their shoes.  So I can no longer recommend them.  New Balance has some OK shoes, but all of them need to be altered slightly to make them work right.

For more information on shoes and other health topics, log on to: www.painfree-greatposture.com or if you have foot problems and want more info., log on to: www.stopyourfootpain.com

What is “Good Posture?”

Have you ever noticed how many people have terrible posture?  One of the most common faulty postures is called “forward head carriage” or “anterior based occiput.”  Other terms are  “hump back” or slouching. There are several reasons for this common postural fault.  One is the weight of the head is, on average, approximately 10-13 pounds and if it’s positioned too far forwards, the muscles in the upper back and neck tighten up much more than normal, fatigue and become painful. Also, the muscles that attach to the skull have different degrees of strength. They also attach and pull at different angles, contributing to the common forward head carriage posture.  The muscles of the chest are much stronger than those in the mid and upper back and tend to pull our shoulders forward. The following pictures offer a good view of both a faulty posture as well as a “good” posture. Notice the forward shift in the line in the pictures of poor posture and backwards shift in the good posture pictures.

As you can see, the weight of the head is back over the shoulders and the shoulder posture is appropriately positioned back in the image titled “Good Head Posture.”

It is important to understand correcting Forward Head Carriage can take time – in fact, it takes a minimum of 3 month before this becomes an automatic new “habit.”  Of course, it could take longer if you sit in slouchy chairs, soft chairs or wear arch supports.  The great benefit you receive with your care at our office is that forward head posture gets corrected without exercises or any strain on your part.  Your body stands more upright without you having to think about it.

If you, a family member or a friend require care, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our service.  We are proud that chiropractic care has consistently scored the highest level of satisfaction when compared to other forms of health care provision and we look forward in serving you and your family presently and in the future.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR NECK PAIN! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 262-251-8306 OR LOG ON TO: WWW.PAINFREE-GREATPOSTURE.COM