There are a number of tests or evaluations that are recommended before starting the transition to minimalism or barefoot running. I have come across various permutations of these tests on a number of blogs, articles and books and most recently in Scott Douglas’s Runners World Complete Guide to Minimalism and Barefoot Running (a good book!), but I […]
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The Windlass Mechanism of the Foot
The windlass mechanism of the foot is an important and integral structure for normal foot function. The windlass mechanism consists of the plantar aponeurosis, which is for all intents and purposes the same thing as the plantar fascia (I don’t want to argue semantics). It attaches to the plantar aspect of the heel, spans out […]
OMG, have we got this so wrong!
After years of toiling away in the biomechanics lab, devouring all the research I could, publishing research, attending and speaking at conferences and treating 1000’s of patients and passing all that wisdom on to students, I have recently learnt that I got things so very very wrong. You see, all that fuss about overpronation, really […]
Effects of “Foot Orthoses” on Running Mechanics in Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
I have had a couple of emails about this study, mainly in the context that the study does not support the hypothesis I proposed on the potential role of foot orthotics in patellofemoral pain syndrome. Two randomized controlled trials tell us that foot orthotics do work in patellofemoral pain syndrome, so that is not the […]
Do running shoes weaken muscles?
We have all seen the claims on blogs, in articles and on places like You Tube that running shoes weaken muscles and that is why we should not be using the big bulky motion controlling running shoes. The claims are made quite regularly and with a certain amount of assertiveness that you would have to […]
Should we transition all anterior compartment syndromes to forefoot striking?
Anterior compartment syndrome or chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is a condition that I never usually like seeing as it is difficult to manage and most would be better off having surgery. This is a problem that occurs to the expanding muscle in the tight fascial compartment of the leg. A recent study on forefoot […]
The ‘Appeal to Authority’ Fallacy
An appeal to an authority is commonly used fallacy that you see around running related articles, forums and blogs, especially in the comments section of blogs. It is an argument that attempts to establish its conclusion by referencing someone who a perceived authority or expert who claims that something is true. The appeal to authority […]
Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction in runners
I am going to type this really slow: Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction is serious. Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction is NOT the same as posterior tibial tendonitis. I try to pull out what little hair I have left when I come across a post on a running forum from a runner wanting advice on posterior tibial […]
Bone injury and the transition to minimalist running
I have held off somewhat commenting on this research while I watched a number of other blog posts and forum threads on it. As I have stated many times, it is intriguing how so many who are not experienced in the reading, interpretation and critical appraisal of research actually read, interpret and appraise research, especially […]
Cherry Picking
Cherry picking is defined by Wikipedia: Cherry picking, suppressing evidence, or the fallacy of incomplete evidence is the act of pointing to individual cases or data that seem to confirm a particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related cases or data that may contradict that position RationalWiki refer to it as: Cherry picking, […]
Which injuries are probably more common in which foot strike pattern?
Different running forms and different foot strike patterns load different tissues differently. This means that each technique probably has a unique set of specific injuries that they probably increase the risk for compared to a different technique (which is the point I tried to make here). Exactly what injuries are probably more common with different […]
Update on the Vibram FiveFingers Class Action
UPDATE on the UPDATE: They have settled (2 May 2014) In 2012, two class actions suits were filed in the USA against Vibram FiveFingers. The first alleges the company used deceptive statements about the health benefits of barefoot running to sell their footwear. The lawsuit asserts that: 1) health benefits claims Vibram FiveFingers has used […]
Impact Reduction with Chi Running
When new research is published, its always intriguing to watch how different communities respond to it and the interpretation or spin that gets put on it¹. I already discussed the The ‘Running Shoes Causing Knee Osteoarthritis’ Debacle in a previous article and how the spinning and re spinning of false headlines lead to a myth. This […]
Calcaneal stress fracture – forefoot or rearfoot strikers?
Is a stress fracture of the calcaneus or heel bone due to the impact loads from heel striking or from the shear stress through the bone from the pull of the Achilles tendon? If I was to ask this question on a barefoot or minimalist forum, what answer do you think I would get? Of […]
The Paradox of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome and Foot Biomechanics
Probably the most common injury seen in runners is “runners knee” – or patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) or anterior knee pain or what it used to be called a long time ago, chondromalacia patallae. Typically the pain is around the patella and is aggravated by activity. The mechanism of the injury is overuse, but there […]