August 02, 2016
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BLOG: Barefoot running: Is it good news for the knee?
Barefoot running is discussed in this Patellofemoral Update by Robin V. West, MD, and why health care providers should educate patients who have patellofemoral pain about this style of running.
The perspective on this topic is from Yonatan Kaplan, PT, MSc (Med), PhD, MAPA, of Jerusalem, who recommends the transition to barefoot running be done carefully to avoid injury.
Patellofemoral Update focuses on the causes, prevention and treatment of patellofemoral disorders. The blog is sponsored by the Patellofemoral Foundation whose mission is to improve the care of individuals with anterior knee pain through targeted education and research. The Patellofemoral Foundation offers additional online education resources on its website.
Members of the Patellofemoral Foundation review and add clinical perspective to recently published studies on the causes, prevention and treatment of patellofemoral disorders. The twice monthly blogs are edited by John P. Fulkerson, MD, and can be found on www.healio.com/orthopaedics. To read all the Patellofemoral Update blogs, click here.
Perspective
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Yonatan Kaplan, PT, MSc (Med), PhD, MAPA
I wish to compliment Dr. West on her succinct article explaining the researched advantages of barefoot/minimalistic shoe running vs. shod running. I wish to make a few further points that may be of interest:
- There is no reported reduction in the incidence of lower limb injuries when barefoot/minimalistic shoe running and shod running are compared. In fact, Vibram USA, the maker of FiveFingers Shoes for running, agreed to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged it made false and unsubstantiated claims about the reduction in foot injuries during use of its glove-type footwear.
- Among runners, changing their minds may be difficult. Despite clear evidence shoes do not help reduce shock on the knees, with few exceptions, runners wearing shoes win the biggest races (and are handsomely compensated by shoe companies for doing so). To runners, scientific evidence may prove ineffective in countering the countless impressions they see on television and on the race course.
- From a clinical perspective, if a runner complains about overcoming knee symptoms, you may advise the runner to land in mid-foot strike or forefoot strike, or even suggest the runner try to run minimalist. In contrast, barefoot or minimalist running tends to increase the load on the lower leg and in the ankle area. Therefore, a runner may be best advised to land in rear-foot strike or even go back to try different running shoes.
- It should be noted the transition to barefoot running should be done carefully to avoid injury.
Yonatan Kaplan, PT, MSc (Med), PhD, MAPA
Director, Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Institute
Lerner Sports Center
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Disclosures: Kaplan reports no relevant financial disclosures.
