Hi Docs,
I have been told I have both a forefoot and rearfoot varus, resulting in overpronation during gait (think this would be mostly in heel-toe gait although to some extent also in toe-heel). Since age 14 (I am now 20), I have been wearing orthotics with a rearfoot wedge and heavy motion control shoes (Brooks Addiction). Despite this I was frequently injured in my career as a 400m sprinter (hamstrings particularly, growth related pathologies - i am 6"4, tibial stress fracture - whilst doing pre-season work mostly in my shoes/orthotics).
The final nail in the coffin was a 2nd metatarsal stress fracture which was the result of my own case of "Barefoot Running Exuberance Syndrome" -to coin a phrase. This was a result of replacing close to all of my non-track volume (100 & 200m intervals @ 70% max vel (~25-26km/hr) x 6-10km/week) with barefoot running almost from the get-go. Inappropriate management of the injury resulted in chronic synovitis in the 2nd TMT joint which still plagues me today. A return to shoes and orthotics, immobilisation and oral NSAIDs have made little dent in the problem; the only thing that has worked was a corticosteroid injection which worked for about 2-3weeks before the symptoms resumed. I was however, mostly barefoot in this time, and though I was not silly about it, did give in to the temptation to run short distances
I have been told I have both a forefoot and rearfoot varus, resulting in overpronation during gait (think this would be mostly in heel-toe gait although to some extent also in toe-heel). Since age 14 (I am now 20), I have been wearing orthotics with a rearfoot wedge and heavy motion control shoes (Brooks Addiction). Despite this I was frequently injured in my career as a 400m sprinter (hamstrings particularly, growth related pathologies - i am 6"4, tibial stress fracture - whilst doing pre-season work mostly in my shoes/orthotics).
The final nail in the coffin was a 2nd metatarsal stress fracture which was the result of my own case of "Barefoot Running Exuberance Syndrome" -to coin a phrase. This was a result of replacing close to all of my non-track volume (100 & 200m intervals @ 70% max vel (~25-26km/hr) x 6-10km/week) with barefoot running almost from the get-go. Inappropriate management of the injury resulted in chronic synovitis in the 2nd TMT joint which still plagues me today. A return to shoes and orthotics, immobilisation and oral NSAIDs have made little dent in the problem; the only thing that has worked was a corticosteroid injection which worked for about 2-3weeks before the symptoms resumed. I was however, mostly barefoot in this time, and though I was not silly about it, did give in to the temptation to run short distances