So I've been seeing a physical therapist pretty regularly ever since I got a case of IT band syndrome. It's mostly gone now, but we've been doing some strengthening exercises to make sure that it doesn't come back. My PT also set me up with the resident running therapist just to see if I have any contributory form issues.
I was actually really nervous about this appointment because I didn't know what was going to happen. What would I do if the PT thought that I needed to wear regular trainers again...or motion control shoes for that matter? It's hard not to trust a medical professional when they make a recommendation about how to run injury free. On the other hand, I'd rather just not run than don a pair of shoes again.
So I showed up in my VFFs thinking that the PT wouldn't want me to be barefoot on a treadmill. The PT talked to me a little about my shoes and how much she likes them. The subject turned to barefoot running, and she found out about my participation with BRS. She actually had me complete my running assessment barefoot since that's the way I normally run. That put me at ease. Running on the treadmill is already awkward for me because I never do it. Running on it in VFFs would have been really weird.
What surprised me the most about the visit was her advice. She said that I pronate more with my left foot than the right, and that could contribute to my ITBS. But she said she most certainly would not prescribe me any kind of shoe to fix the problem. She said that a lot more PTs nowadays are turning towards POSE and other running techniques as well as muscle strengthening to correct form issues rather than perscribing shoes as the quick fix. She was even up to speed on the recent statement by Nike that motion control shoes don't do jack poop!
I was relieved and impressed. I'm glad to see that what we do makes sense to the medical community. I just thought I would share.
I was actually really nervous about this appointment because I didn't know what was going to happen. What would I do if the PT thought that I needed to wear regular trainers again...or motion control shoes for that matter? It's hard not to trust a medical professional when they make a recommendation about how to run injury free. On the other hand, I'd rather just not run than don a pair of shoes again.
So I showed up in my VFFs thinking that the PT wouldn't want me to be barefoot on a treadmill. The PT talked to me a little about my shoes and how much she likes them. The subject turned to barefoot running, and she found out about my participation with BRS. She actually had me complete my running assessment barefoot since that's the way I normally run. That put me at ease. Running on the treadmill is already awkward for me because I never do it. Running on it in VFFs would have been really weird.
What surprised me the most about the visit was her advice. She said that I pronate more with my left foot than the right, and that could contribute to my ITBS. But she said she most certainly would not prescribe me any kind of shoe to fix the problem. She said that a lot more PTs nowadays are turning towards POSE and other running techniques as well as muscle strengthening to correct form issues rather than perscribing shoes as the quick fix. She was even up to speed on the recent statement by Nike that motion control shoes don't do jack poop!
I was relieved and impressed. I'm glad to see that what we do makes sense to the medical community. I just thought I would share.