Welcome to the Podiatry Arena forums

You are currently viewing our podiatry forum as a guest which gives you limited access to view all podiatry discussions and access our other features. By joining our free global community of Podiatrists and other interested foot health care professionals you will have access to post podiatry topics (answer and ask questions), communicate privately with other members, upload content, view attachments, receive a weekly email update of new discussions, access other special features. Registered users do not get displayed the advertisements in posted messages. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our global Podiatry community today!

  1. Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
Dismiss Notice
Have you liked us on Facebook to get our updates? Please do. Click here for our Facebook page.
Dismiss Notice
Do you get the weekly newsletter that Podiatry Arena sends out to update everybody? If not, click here to organise this.

Foot burns from fire walking

Discussion in 'Podiatry Trivia' started by NewsBot, Feb 28, 2013.

Tags:
  1. NewsBot

    NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

    Articles:
    1

    Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    Deep sole burns in several participants in a traditional festival of the firewalking ceremony in Kee-lung, Taiwan--clinical experiences and prevention strategies.
    Chang SC, Hsu CK, Tzeng YS, Teng SC, Fu JP, Dai NT, Chen SG, Chen TM, Feng CC.
    Burns. 2012 Nov;38(7):1079-83.
     
  2. Admin2

    Admin2 Administrator Staff Member

    Firewalking

    Firewalking in Sri Lanka

    Firewalking is the act of walking barefoot over a bed of hot embers or stones. It has been practiced by many people and cultures in many parts of the world, with the earliest known reference dating from Iron Age India c. 1200 BCE. It is often used as a rite of passage, as a test of strength and courage, and in religion as a test of faith.[1][2]

    Firewalking festival in Japan, 2016

    Modern physics has explained the phenomenon, concluding that the foot does not touch the hot surface long enough to burn and that embers are poor conductors of heat.[3]

    1. ^ H2G2, Earth Edition. "Firewalking". H2G2. H2G2. Retrieved 2003-10-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
    2. ^ Pankratz, Loren (1988). "Fire Walking and the Persistence of Charlatans". Perspectives in Biology and Medicine. 31 (2): 291–298. doi:10.1353/pbm.1988.0057. ISSN 1529-8795. PMID 3281133. S2CID 40278024 – via Project Muse.
    3. ^ Willey, David. "Firewalking Myth vs Physics". University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
     
  3. W J Liggins

    W J Liggins Well-Known Member

    Just out of academic interest I carried out a firewalk (and am grateful to the organisers for permitting this without the usual psychological 'workup' and signed disclaimer). I carried out a brief pilot study on 3 participants which was published and which showed only a small increase in plantar temperature following walking on a bed of coals at circa 1000 degrees F. If you would care for a copy then please let me know.

    The Wikipedia entry appears largely correct although Jearl Walker now accepts that the Leidenfrost effect is not relevant. My study highlighted that although the physics are of major importance, the physiology and anatomy of the foot are rarely mentioned in this context and are certainly involved.

    Bill Liggins
     
Loading...

Share This Page