Going Barefoot…almost! My barefoot experience and is it right for you? Part III Going Barefoot…almost! My barefoot experience and is it right for you? Part III As many of you have read, I have taken on an experiment of two weeks wearing a barefoot type shoe by Tune Footwear. As mentioned in the first part of this series, Tune Footwear contacted me and asked me to try their shoes for a couple of weeks. While I was at it, I also purchased a Read More
Going Barefoot…almost! My barefoot experience and is it right for you? Part II Going Barefoot…almost! My barefoot experience and is it right for you? Part II Well, it has been 1 1/2 weeks with my going barefoot experiment. As you may remember in my original post (here), I was given a pair of shoes from Tune Footwear to try. They have a negative heel and try to recreate what it is like to walk barefoot all the time. After 1.5 weeks, the soreness Read More
Going Barefoot…almost! My barefoot experience and is it right for you? Part I Going Barefoot…almost! My barefoot experience and is it right for you? Last week, a reader of our blog Diary of a NJ Chiropractor called me up regarding a post done a while ago concerning barefoot shoes for runners and the suggestion that since we are built differently, some of us may be better off barefoot and some may not. The reader, it turns out is the owner of a recently Read More
What are the benefits and downfalls of barefoot running? What are the benefits and downfalls of barefoot running? Years ago, a book called Born to Run convinced an entire generation of runners that barefoot running was better than running with shoes. Africa has produced many Kenyan NYC marathon winners who grew up running barefoot to school and culturally spent most of their time without shoes. The book suggested that they were better runners because of this and as a Read More
Going barefoot, for 20 years and counting; One man’s experience according to the NY Times. Going barefoot, for 20 years and counting; One man’s experience according to the NY Times. For those who read the book Born to Run years ago, the idea of barefoot walking and running went viral. Everyone was looking for either minimalist shoes or Vibram 5 fingers shoes trying to follow what the book suggested about people in Africa who walked and ran without shoes. Even the Barefoot Runners society was Read More
Vibram running shoes, a passing fad with class action status. Were their claims of barefoot running false or just over over-exuberant marketing? Vibram running shoes, a passing fad with class action status. Were their claims of barefoot running false or just over-exuberant marketing? If you are a runner, there is no doubt you have heard about Vibram barefoot running shoes. Of course, to market such a product, you must spin it so people begin to want it. College campuses and high schools were filled with people who wore these cool-looking Read More
More questions about the benefits of barefoot running. The NY Times reports. More questions about the benefits of barefoot running. The NY Times reports. The barefoot running society has many people dedicated to spreading the word about the benefits of running. I have been a medical advisor to many of the people who participate in the site. While barefoot running sounds great, often, those who switch to this style of running because of problems they believe were from running shod (with shoes) Read More
Shod or barefoot; which running style is best according to the NY Times? Shod or barefoot; which running style is best according to the NY Times? Shod (with shoes) or barefoot, forefoot strike, midfoot strike or heel strike is a discussion that has been gaining popularity. A NY Times article explores this concept using history and our knowledge of who ran barefoot, how fast they ran, and more. There is a growing group of people who believe that we should all run barefoot Read More
Custom Vs. off the shelf foot orthotics, which should you buy for the best relief of back and neck pain? Custom Vs. off the shelf foot orthotics, which should you buy for the best relief of back and neck pain? by William D. Charschan D.C., I.C.C.S.P. A common question patients ask is; Which is better, off the shelf or a custom made foot orthotic? This is a difficult question because we are all built differently and have different needs. Years ago, custom foot orthotics were the only choice most of Read More
A Runners Guide to Understanding and Avoiding Plantar Fasciitis A Runners Guide to Understanding and Avoiding Plantar Fasciitis By William D. Charschan I.C.C.S.P. If you have had plantar fasciitis, you know the pain, the difficulties walking and if you are an avid runner, it can stop you from running altogether. Many medical specialists know the condition by name and many podiatrists will typically manage it with foot orthotics, injections, sound wave therapy and in the worst cases surgeries that Read More
What’s going on with Peyton Manning’s plantar fasciitis? Are the team’s doctors missing something? What’s going on with Peyton Manning’s plantar fasciitis? Are the team’s doctors missing something? Professional football players are powerful and play a tough game. They train constantly and have had years of hitting and running experiences that they had to excel in to be picked for a pro football team and then to become one of the sports best players. The truth is that players are replaceable, but star players Read More
Plantar fasciitis; Not a foot problem but a spring problem. Plantar fasciitis; Not a foot problem but a spring problem. If you have had plantar fasciitis, you know the pain, the difficulties walking and if you are an avid runner, it can stop you from running altogether. Many specialists know the condition by name and many podiatrists will typically manage it with foot orthotics, injections and in the worst cases surgeries that often, do not solve the problem (but may Read More