Have a medical condition or running-related injury that somehow cleared up when ditching the shoes?

[BFwillie_g]

Discovered something recently

Discovered something recently by surprise. I've had an issue with leg-strength differential for a number of years. It's the result of severe hip-flexor damage in both legs, severe enough that my left leg was paralyzed for three days. The damage was more than just the flexor, it left me with all kinds of hip problems, especially the IT band on the right side.

I've worked hard on my general fitness for a while but my right leg has been consistently weaker. Until now. I was at the gym using the sitting quad machine, alternating left/right legs as I was shown a few months ago. My left leg could always do more and longer while my right leg would give out sooner. But the last couple times I've done it - the difference was very minimal!

I know this doesn't sound like a big deal, but it is to me. The strength imbalance was due to that IT band on the right side, a problem I just haven't been able to lick no matter which exercises or therapies I've utilized. It's held me back from running fast for quite a while.

And now, just from going barefoot for a couple months, and not even expecting any change in this particular area, it's pretty much healed up. I could always feel it there, a lingering, nagging pain that would remind me of my 47th birthday coming up in September. But now I have to really twist around and stretch the area unnaturally to get just a shimmer of pain out of it.

That's a goooood thng, really!

Thank you, Feet

Thank you, Earth

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Balance is so important, huh

Balance is so important, huh Willie?

 

[Kiki]

My arches were hurting a lot

My arches were hurting a lot when I ran in shoes. No more arch pain!

 

[LavaRunner]

Positive side effects of BF

Positive side effects of BF Running

• My balance improved, Core work helped there too
• Chronic Shin Splints went away after 7 years steady
• Calf trigger points have disappeared, better hydration may be helping as is foam roller
• Knee pain is gone. Have bad knees, meniscus tears. No pain now
• I smile when I run
• My form has dramatically improved. I am a puller not a pusher
• Oddly, my shoulders don't hurt after long runs. Probably form related
• My heart rate during running is 20 beats lower than when I wore shoes. Could be I run more now.
• Having the time of my life

Negative side effects of BF Running

• Ankles are still adjusting. Posterior Tibial Tendon still inflames occasionally but getting better. Too much too soon did some insult that is not clearing quickly
• People think I am weird, but I guess that was pre-existing

 

[jschwab]

I used to get bad rashes on

I used to get bad rashes on my feet from crap that they make athletic shoes with. I wanted to run for awhile and researched alernatives to shoes before I got started and discovered Barefoot X's (can't remember who) Barefoot Running website in 2005. I told myself if shoes still gave me rashes I would just do that.

I ended up walking into my local shoe store in 2007 after a surprise baby in 2006 (not a LRS) and I was directed to all-mesh 790s which were just the right shoe for me and I ran successfully in them not really understanding they were particularly minimalist. When I found out 790's were what barefoot runners wore sometimes when not bare, I thought about bare again. In the meantime, my feet went from perfect biomechanics to all kinds of hurt due to a weakness in my ab muscles. I got orthotics in 9/09 and wore them through two halfs. Got really injured (tore my ab clear off the bone) and vowed to start over again bare - I had already convinced hubby to go bare and he liked it and it solved his knee problem. After a few weeks unshod with chiro postural adjustments, the orthotics were torture and podiatrist did a gait scan analysis which was perfect.

I have not had any issues since then. Pure perfection. I do feel like I had an easier transition since I was already in some darn minimalist shoes, including Kilkenny's (I wore them with orthotics eventually) but bare and beach shoes finally strengthened my feet in the right ways. I also healed my ab injury myself - surgery is usually necessary.

 

[nature runner]

 I had bad knee issues on my

I had bad knee issues on my right knee and right ankle, plus the lower back gave me alot of pain. My knee got so bad from a car wreck that I just had to quit. I already went barefoot alot anyway, this was 5 yrs back btw. Since I was already barefoot, that was what gave me the idea to start getting back into running without shoes. So, I googled it one day to see if running bare could be done I had never read a book on it or anything just went on bf Ted site and hit the runner world link and got started on he stickies, and here I am, no knee, back, or ankle pain anymore. It gets better everyday!