Barefoot running and hip kinematics: good news for the knee?
Hearing the the phrase “barefoot running” usually makes people cringe and think it must be crazy. While there are negatives to running without a physical shoe, the main important of barefoot running is the form that one innately acquires. This form tends to be a more natural form and reduces the unnecessary stress to the body which is usually associated with running in a stably running shoes which alters the body’s natural protective mechanisms. Here’s some new literature demonstrating positive changes from running without those heavy supportive shoes.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2015 May;47(5):1009-16. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000505.
Source: Barefoot running and hip kinematics: good news for the knee? – PubMed – NCBI
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About The Author
Dr. Nick Campitelli
Dr. Campitelli is a podiatrist in Akron, OH specializing in foot and ankle surgery with an interest and enthusiasm for running as well as helping runners with injuries. For the past several years he has been treating running injuries in patients by fixing their form and transitioning them to minimalist shoes. Having treated runners with all types of injuries through conservative measures with orthotics and shoe gear changes to reconstructive foot and ankle surgery, Dr. Campitelli has brought what works best and is most current to his practice as well as the Akron and Cleveland running communities.
Heel elevation, present in most shoes, causes the calf to be shortened. Also causes anterior pelvic tilt. When these two things occur, the calves and hamstrings are weak. What stabilizes the knee? Hamstrings and calves. Of course you need patellar tracking to be right, but thats easy to do. Having the hamstrings and calves fire properly requires no heel elevation, which makes barefoot running smart for knee pain. Can take some time for a human to adapt to barefoot running though.
William Prowse IV
http://www.pfsurvivalguide.com