barefoot running/walking

[Dr Robert]

Hi everyone: I started barefoot running three years ago and after a year had to quit due to cervical and low spinal stenosis. I had the cervical discs replaced (three level ACDF) and I have continued to walk barefooted (five miles this morning) and I am without cervical symptoms. I ran on Sunday, downhill on thick grass, about a kilometer, and then spent three hours in the car driving. My neck was and is fine, my low back did not like it much, but has settled down enough to do the walk this morning. I like to walk, but LOVE to run. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with running on top of lumbar disc disease? Dr Robert

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Dr. Robert, welcome! What kind of medicine do you practice? (Why do they call it practice anyway? I would hope that my doc isn't practicing anymore by the time he gets to me.) Anywho, feel free to ask our Docs in the Ask the Doc forum if you haven't found it yet.

 

[Phil Hart]

Welcome Dr. Bob. I've had several age- and wear-related problems, but no experience with lumbar disc disease. Glad to have you with us, and I'm willing to bet The Docs can offer some good direction.

 

[jldeleon]

I have various low back issues and the best advice I can give is really learn to trust the natural spring action in your feet/legs and really use it. Pushing back, while going downhill, is usually what the low back does not like. However, with stenosis, it may bother you no matter what you do. I would really practice going down 45ish degree hills as if you were a rag doll, literally letting your knees bend until they won't bend any more. It only feels scary at first until you actually feel how much spring is in your legs and feet and learn to trust that it will naturally bounce you back up. Once I learned to trust this feeling, it was easy for me to apply to flatter trails as well as pavement. It's extra shock absorption.