Injuries occuring in the transition from shod to barefoot running

NewsBot · Jun 3, 2012

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
From the ACSM Mtg:
Running-related Injuries During The Transition From Shod To Barefoot Running
Allison R. Altman, Irene S. Davis

There are more than 16 million runners in the United States. Of these runners, up to 79% are injured each year. It has been suggested that an increasing number of runners are converting to barefoot running to avoid injuries by running with a softer landing pattern. However, the alteration in mechanics associated with this conversion may increase the risk of injury during the transition.

PURPOSE: To determine the injury patterns associated with the transition from shod to barefoot running.

METHODS: 109 barefoot runners were recruited from online advertisements. These runners were between 18-50 yrs and were running at least 10 miles/week. Injuries associated with barefoot transition were reported to a web-based survey. Injuries were divided into musculoskeletal injuries (MS_INJ) and injuries to the plantar surface of the foot (PL_INJ). MS_INJ were further divided into those that were professionally assessed where a clear diagnosis was noted, and those that were self-reported.

RESULTS: 17% (18/109) of the runners sustained a MS_INJ during their transition with half of those (9/109) seeking medical attention. 15% (16/109) of barefoot runners sustained PL_INJ. 37 total injuries were reported, with 21 being MS_INJ, and 16 were PL_INJ. The most common MS_INJ were foot, arch, calf and lower leg pain. Of the PL_INJ, blisters were the most common. Cuts, thought to be a significant risk with barefoot running, only occurred in 2/109 runners.

CONCLUSION: Overall, the occurrence of transition injuries was relatively low. Conditioning of the arch and lower leg muscles, coupled with a gradual toughening of the plantar surface of the foot should help to reduce these injuries during transition.
Click to expand...

Admin2 · Jun 3, 2012

Related threads:
Vibram Five Fingers and Plantar Plate Dysfunction
Papers on Minimalist Shoe/Barefoot Running Injuries
Foot Strike and Injury Rates in Endurance Runners: a retrospective study
Running Shoes do not contrinute to injury risk
Injuries Observed in Minimalist Runners
Barefoot Running Injuries
The Barefoot Running Injury Epidemic
Vibram FiveFingers Cause Metatarsal Stress Fractures?
"Top of Foot Pain" from Barefoot Running
Impact frequency data suggest unique risks for forefoot strikers
Transitioning to Minimalist Running Shoes
Achilles tendon: running barefoot vs running shod?
Other threads tagged with barefoot running

CraigT · Jun 3, 2012

So how many people that try to transition to barefoot but get a significant injury will continue to go barefoot???

Craig Payne · Jun 3, 2012

CraigT said: ↑

So how many people that try to transition to barefoot but get a significant injury will continue to go barefoot???
Click to expand...

Indeed! The study was a self selected group who had made the transition successfully retrospectively reporting on the injuries they got.....

Having said that, if you look at the table, the specific injuries are consistent with what I am seeing and what you would expect to see as a result of the specific joints moments that are increased in barefoot running/forefoot striking.

NewsBot · May 15, 2013

Minimalist shoe injuries: Three case reports.
Cauthon DJ, Langer P, Coniglione TC.
Foot (Edinb). 2013 May 10.

Running in minimalist shoes continues to increase in popularity and multiple mainstream shoe companies now offer minimalist shoes. While there is no evidence that traditional running shoes prevent injuries, there are concerns that the designs of minimalist shoes may increase injury risk. However, reports of injuries in runners wearing minimalist shoes are rare. We present three injuries occurring in runners that were wearing minimalist shoes at the time of injury. All three of the runners switched immediately to the minimalist shoes with no transition period. We recommend that any transition to minimalist shoe gear be performed gradually. It is our contention that these injuries are quite common and will continue to become more prevalent as more runners change to these shoes.
Click to expand...

Craig Payne · Dec 29, 2014

NewsBot said: ↑

All three of the runners switched immediately to the minimalist shoes with no transition period
Click to expand...

I still find it hard to believe that there are some runners that are still that dumb. maybe there needs to be an IQ test before being allowed to run in minimalist shoes

NewsBot · Dec 29, 2014

Stress fracture after changing to barefoot running.
Christensen M
Ugeskr Laeger. 2014 Dec 15;176(25A). pii: V11120662.

Barefoot running is increasing in popularity but little is known about the implications in respect to injuries. It has been proposed that barefoot running is associated with a decrease in running injuries as it represents a more natural way of running. A 50-year-old runner with a weekly running distance of 50 km presented suffering from a stress fracture of the second metatarsal after six weeks of intensive barefoot running.
Click to expand...

Craig Payne · Dec 29, 2014

NewsBot said: ↑

after six weeks of intensive barefoot running.
Click to expand...

:confused: :confused: :confused:

Craig Payne said: ↑

I still find it hard to believe that there are some runners that are still that dumb. maybe there needs to be an IQ test before being allowed to run in minimalist shoes
Click to expand...

NewsBot · Sep 24, 2016

Injuries observed in a prospective transition from traditional to minimalist footwear: correlation of high impact transient forces and lower injury severity
Matthew J Salzler, Hollie J Kirwan, Donna M Scarborough, James T Walker, Anthony J Guarino & Eric M Berkson
The Physician and Sportsmedicine; 21 September

Background: Minimalist running is increasing in popularity based upon a concept that it can reduce impact forces and decrease injury rates. The purpose of this investigation is to identify the rate and severity of injuries in runners transitioning from traditional to minimalist footwear. The secondary aims were to identify factors correlated with injuries.

Methods: Fourteen habitually shod (traditional running shoes) participants were enrolled for this prospective study investigating injury prevalence during transition from traditional running shoes to 5-toed minimalist shoes. Participants were uninjured, aged between 22-41 years, and ran at least twenty kilometers per week in traditional running shoes. Participants were given industry recommended guidelines for transition to minimalist footwear and fit with a 5-toed minimalist running shoe. They completed weekly logs for identification of injury, pain using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), injury location, and severity. Foot strike pattern and impact forces were collected using 3D motion analysis at baseline, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks. Injuries were scored according to a modified Running Injury Severity Score (RISS).

Results: Fourteen runners completed weekly training and injury logs over an average of 30 weeks. Twelve of 14 (86%) runners sustained injuries. Average injury onset was 6 weeks (range 1-27 weeks). Average weekly mileage of 23.9 miles/week prior to transition declined to 18.3 miles/week after the transition. The magnitude of the baseline impact transient peak in traditional shoes and in minimalist shoes negatively correlated with RISS scores (r= -0.45, p=.055 and r= -0.53, p=.026, respectively).

Conclusion: High injury rates occurred during the transition from traditional to minimalist footwear. Non-compliance to transition guidelines and high injury rates suggest the need for improved education. High impact transient forces unexpectedly predicted lower modified RISS scores in this population.
Click to expand...

NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

Attached Files:

barefootinjury.JPG

Admin2 Administrator Staff Member

CraigT Well-Known Member

Craig Payne Moderator

NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

Craig Payne Moderator

NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

Craig Payne Moderator

NewsBot The Admin that posts the news.

Foot crush injuries

Neoprene Diving Boots in Reduction of Feet Injuries

Injuries in Sailing

Lower Extremity Injuries Due to Chainsaws

ACL injuries in female footballers

Forklift injuries to the foot

Injuries in pickleball

Share This Page