Better off Barefoot? What do Podiatrists have to say?

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Better off Barefoot? What do Podiatrists have to say?

By Al Gauthier ⋅ May 17, 2010 ⋅

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Read the Full Article Here: Better off barefoot?

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Some podiatrists say barefoot running too risky for most

He might share a practice with Nirenberg, but podiatrist Dr. Michael Lacey disagrees with his partner.

He says the support is a good thing, especially in a culture where we simply aren’t brought up walking on rough terrain from birth.

“If everybody stopped wearing shoes from the moment they are born, maybe it would be an easier transition, but right now, for someone to transition all of a sudden to doing barefoot running, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Lacey says.

Walking around with padding all your life puts you more at risk for a stress fracture when you go without it, he reasons.

“I just kind of think that everybody can benefit from good arch support and orthotics and I think that is the most beneficial thing for people is to have good arch support,” Lacey says. “That goes completely against what the barefoot running thinking is, but that is what I am most comfortable with and that is what I recommend to patients.”

Chesterton podiatrist Dr. Marc Bruell, of Lakeshore Bone and Joint, thinks barefoot running is perhaps only for a very small subset of the population and is too risky for most people. Those who are very athletic, young and lightweight can probably run barefoot without much trouble but this isn’t most people.

Also, Bruell doesn’t buy the argument that shoes weaken the foot muscles, which he says are small and few.

“I say do things that protect your feet. Decrease the shock. Increase shock absorption. Increase your stability,” he says.

Also, Bruell believes running more on the ball of the foot, which barefoot runners tend to do instinctively, increases the risk of stress fractures in the front of the foot, especially for those who are a little older or overweight.

Read the Full Article Here: Better off barefoot?

Catch our conversation with Dr. Nirenberg shortly on our podcast.

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