Prevent Lower Extremity Injuries in Runners
By Dr. Emily Splichal
Did you know that on average 70% of runners experience an overuse injury as a result of uncontrolled ground reaction forces? (Hreljac 2004)
From weight loss to cardiovascular conditioning, running is one of the most common forms of exercise. Research in running shoe technology has made companies such as Nike and Reebok, leaders in this million-dollar industry. Despite the millions of dollars spent on advancing shoe design, there is still a high rate of lower extremity injuries among runners. With the high rate of running-related injuries there has been a recent trend in runners kicking off their $150 sneakers and opting to run barefoot.
Are the benefits of barefoot running worth saying goodbye forever to the running shoe? Not necessarily. With the conflicting data behind the benefits of barefoot running and increased risk of injury in novice barefoot runners, perhaps we should look at a different technique for reducing running-related injuries. Continued here: http://blog.evidencebasedfitnessaca...n-foot--our-bodys-natural-shock-absorber.aspx
